NEEDHAM'S 
BICENTENNIAL 

CELEBRATION 



0( 1800 

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Book JV h(W ) , 



XEKDIIAM S 

P.ICKX TKNN I AL 

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A KKcoKi) OK riii-: i;\ i:k(" isHs and a 

MKMOKIAL OF FHK (TJ-KMKA I'lON AT NKHDHAM 
MASSACHUSKTTS ON Till: IWO HI NI)HKI>TH 
ANNIVKRSAin OF ITS INCORPORATION 



Puhlit<hi(l l)y the CeUbralion Committee 
C'umpiltd by Thomas Sutton 



I'rintdl nt Niitllinin l>y 

(itMr^'f W. uikI Wintliriip M S.iulliwijrlli 

1 "J 1 3 




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CONTENTS 

FIRST STEPS 

Olehration Coniinittee 9 

Invitations tind Acceptances 13 

Interesting Letters 19 

FIRST EXERCISES 

First Parish Cliiinh 27 

Bicentennial Chronicle 33 

THE CELEBRATION 

First Parish Church 43 

First Baptist Church 59 

Kvan^jelical Con^egational Church 03 

Methodist Episcopal Church 77 

St. Joseph's Church 83 
Christ Church and First Church of Christ, 

Scientist 85 

Bicentennial Hymn 94 

Addrt>ss of Dr. W. H. P. Faunce 97 

Historical Ixjan Art Exhibit 111 

Atliletic Events 117 

Children's Entertainment 123 

Address of Charles Francis Adams 12g 

Bicentennial P<K'm 157 

Address of George K. Clarke 161 

Civic and Trades Parade 173 

Grand Army 187 

Fire Department 193 

Banquet and Addresses 199 

Ball 227 

Results 231 



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nioMAS SUTTON, Sccn-tary 



ILLl STKA I IONS 

TowtJ Hall fFr()iiti>i)ir<<') 

(liainuaii of (iriu'ral Cominittcc 

Se<'rvtary ()f (iriirral Comiiiitlec 

MrjnlxTs of (iciHTJil ('umiiiitlf'*' 

Haiul Stand 

Nerdhain Railroad Station 

Lyon's Hridgo 

Mcotiiif; House and Mini>ttr of 1811 

l''irst l*;irisli ( linnli 

Fir»t Ha|)ti>>t ( "liunli 

Kvanmdical C'onj^rcjjalional Clmn li 

Mrtliodist Epi-.co|)a! Church 

Christ ( "hunh 

St. Joseph's ( "hurcli 

Town Hall (Drcttratcd) 

Dr. Faunce, Charles Francis .\(l;inis, (Joorge K. Clarke. M i > 

.1. (;. .\. Carter 
New Century Chil» Coniniitlee 
Hijih Shool nuildin^ 
l*ul)lic Lihrary Muiidin^ 
Oflicial Medals 
New Dedhain .\ venue Mridjje 
New .\very S<hool Huildinj^ 
Ncodhani Hei^ht.s Stjuan* 
Stand I*ipe and I'uinpin^ Statiiui 
NcM'dliaJU Heights Musiucs^ S<'clion (2) 
Soldiers' Monument 
Ne«tliuini Hu-sini'ss Section 
The (lovcrnor. The Lieutenant - (iovernor, Congre.s.sinan 

Weck.s, The Secretary of Stale 



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FIKST STEPS 





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FIRST STKPS 

I'lir fjiiestion of - celehratiiip the fwo lintulrcdth 
nnni\(T.sary of the irworporal ion of tlic fowii in a fitting 
iiiaiiiu'r liad Ixm'Ii in the minds of tlu' citi/riis for some 
months, hnt the first action taken hy tlic town was at 
tlu* annnal meeting' in Marcli, ninctt'cn hnndrcd and 
ten, wluMi it was voted tliat the ino<ii'rator (William 
(i. Mosfjcy ) and the |)r<'scnt hoard of selectmen (John 
A. iillon," William A. IVohert and Henry T. Childs) 
together with twenty-one eitizens to he appointed hy 
the moderator, serve as a committee to take into con- 
sideration the celehration of the two hnndredfh anni- 
versary of the incorporation of the town, said com- 
nuttee to report thereon with recommendations at the 
next town meeting. 

'I'he moilerator api)ointed Emery Grover, Thomas 
Sntton. William Carter, T. Otis Fnller, Joseph H. 
Thorpe. Charles K. Stanwood. John F. Mills, Fdgar 
11. Mowers. William (Jorse, (leorge K. Clarke, Jam«'s 
H. Whetton. William Mitchell. Howard A. Crossman, 
("harles II. ( rowley, I'Vank W. Scot ton, William F. 
Iliird. (ieor^'e II. Walk«T. James Maekinf(>>h, (ieurge 
W. Soiithworth, Aluer F. Faton. Henry I). HIaekman. 

At the first meeting of the committe*' Williani (i. 
Mo.seh'v WHS chosen chairman and Thomas Sutton, 
bccretarv. 



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NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



The chairman appointed the following sub-com- 
mittees to take charge of different features of the cele- 
bration, viz.: 

Oration — Emery Grover, John F. Mills, Thomas 
Sutton. 

Guests — Edgar H. Bowers, William Gorse, 
George H. Walker. 

Decorations — Howard A. Grossman, Alger E. 
Eaton, *James Mackintosh. 

Banquet and Ball — William A. Probert, James 
H. Whetton, Henry D. Blackman. 

Printing and Program — George W. South- 
worth, fCharles H. Crowley, George H. Walker, James 
F. Ryan. 

Historical Collection — T. Otis Fuller, George 
K. Clarke, Thomas Sutton. 

Reception— John A. Tilton, William Carter, 
William E. Hurd. 

Athletics — *Charles E. Stanwood, Joseph B. 
Thorpe, William Mitchell, Frank W. Gorse. 

Children's Entertainment — Henry T. Childs, 
William Mitchell, Frank W. Scotton. 

Civic and Municipal Parade — James F. Ryan, 
Austin Potter, Henry D. Blackman. 

James F. Ryan, Frank W. Gorse, Austin Potter 
were chosen to fill vacancies. 

On the twelfth day of January nineteen hundred 
and eleven, the committee made a report of progress 
and recommended an appropriation of three thousand 
dollars to defray the expenses of the proposed cele- 
bration, but at the annual meeting in March, the sum 
of two thousand dollars was deemed suflScient by the 
town and so voted. 

* Resigned 
t Deceased 



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FIUST STKI'S 



Tlic ^'cjicral conmiittcr held ci^'htrcii meetings 
before all arraii^'fincuts wrrc iiiadr to sucrr.ssfiilly carry 
on our cclchration. A simnnary of votes passed is as 
follows: 

Voted:- That the (•ricbratioii he Ixld on Sunday, 
Monday and Tuesday, tlie seveiiteentli. ei^liteentli 
and nineteenth days of Septeinher. 

That five hundre<l dollars he approfjriated for 
(U'coratinj; town huildin^^^- 

That two Inindred and twenty-five dollars be 
ap|)roj)riated for athletics. 

'I'hat tin- .school children Ix' ^'iven an enlerlain- 

nieiit ii\ the town hall, an<l ihat each pupil in our puhlic 

.seiiools he ^'iveii a medal coinnieinorat in« the occaMon. 

That the Needhani Military Band he euKa^'cd to 

furnish music. 

That the Board of Trade he invited to assume the 
responsibility of the trade procession. 

That tile civic and municipal committee act in 
conjunction with the committee ai)i)ointed by the 
Hoard of Trade in making' arran^enients for a municipal 
and trade parade. 

'I'hat a conveyance be furnished to (ialen ( )rr I'ost 
No. ISl, (;. .\. \{. for the veterans. 

'Ihat fifty dollars be api)ropriated to help the fire- 
men entertain their ^niests. 

That «-ach of tin- .several churches in town be in- 
vited to obsjTve the c«'lebration in an appropriate man- 
ner in the forenoon of Sunday, September the s«'ven- 
teenth. 

That arran^'ements be made for a civic oration in 

the town hall on Sundav evenini,'- 

That John V. Mills and William H. Carter be a 
eommitfee to mark i)laces of historic interest in town. 

That Mrs. J. (1. A. Carter be invited to write an 
anniversary ptK'ni. 



(H 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



That George K. Clarke Esq. be invited to give an 
historical address. 

That an invitation be extended to Charles Francis 
Adams to deliver an address. 

That a loan art exhibition and collection of antiques 
be held in the hall of the High School Building. 

That a banquet be held on Tuesday afternoon, 
September the nineteenth, followed by speaking by in- 
vited guests and grand march and ball in the evening. 

That the following persons be invited as guests of 
the town : 

His Excellency William H. Taft 

President of the United States 
Hon. George von L. Meyer Secretary of the Navy 
Hon. Edwin U. Curtis Collector of Port of Boston 
Hon. Henry Cabot Lodge U. S. Senator 

Hon. W. Murray Crane U. S. Senator 

Hon. John W. Weeks Member of Congress 

His Excellence Eugene N. Foss 

Governor of Massachusetts 
His Honor Louis A. Frothingham 

Lieutenant-Governor 
Hon. Albert P. Langtry Secretary of State 

Hon. J. Stearns Cushing Councillor 

Gen. Gardner W. Pearson Adjutant General 

Hon. Allen T. Treadway 

President of Massachusetts Senate 
Hon. Joseph Walker Speaker of House 

Hon. Charles H. Pearson Senator First Norfolk 
Rev. Edward L. Horton 

Chaplain of Massachusetts Senate 
Hon. Edgar J. Sherman Justice of Superior Court 
Mr. Horatio Hathaway 

Representative to General Court 
Hon. James H. Flint Judge of Probate 

Hon. John F. Merrill County Commissioner 

Hon. Silas Stone County Commissioner 

Hon. Evan F. Richardson County Commissioner 



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Fin ST STKP'< 



Mr. Sjiimn-1 H. ("ii|>«'ii Slirritr of Norfolk Coiiiity 
Mr. Utiiry l>. Mumplin-y 

'PrraMin-r of .Norfolk ("uuiily 
Hon .Mfr.'.i F. I?ark.r I )islri(l All..riM'y 

Frt'dtrick (i. Kiil/.iiianii. 10s(|. 

Assistant District Attorney 
Hon. .lanirs M. Swift .Vttoriiry (Jrnrral 

Moil, ("harlt's K. llatli.UI Mayor of Nfwloii 

lion. .lolin F. Fit/^'t-raltl Mayor i>f Hostou 

l'n«>iih'nl Cliarlrs W. Fliol Harvanl liiivcrsity 

lion. .loliu 1). l.on^' Hin^,'liain. Mass. 

Hon. Hi-rhrrt l'ark«-r l,an(a^l«T. Mjiss. 

Hon. Fr«'(ltri(k I). Fly l)«-(lliani. Mas.s. 

Hon. lUron H. .Jolmsoii Wallliain. Miws. 

Mr. Frrdcric k H. Ncwrll Wa-I.in^'lon. D. C. 

Rev. (icor^'c Whitakcr S«»nu'r\ illr, Mas-s. 

Rev. N. TilliM;,'ha>l Wliitak.T Lowrll, Miuss. 

I*n)ffS-sor ("luinnin.u Wliitaki-r 'ryiiu'>I)oro, Miuss. 
R«'v. Charlfs F. Sawtrllc Ncfdliam. M11H.S. 

R<-v. John 1). WaUlron Ncrdhani. Mass. 

R«'V. Nrwton lUack Ni-t-dliain Hrijj;hts 

Rrv. T. .1. Danaliy Newton Ippt-r Falls 

\{r\ . Fdwar.l Marsh N.-rdhain Hri^hts 

I{c\ . .1. .\ilanis I'litfrr .Nfcdhani. Mass. 

Mr. Don (il.-as.Mi Hill 

I'own (h-rk, Dcdhani, Miuss. 
Mr. Frt'd H. King>l)ury 

Town (It-rk. Wt'lU'sicy, Mas.s. 
Mr .loliii H. I'aiilk I'own Clerk, Dover, Mass. 

Mr. I,c>trr .NtWfonil) 

(hairnian Selectmen, Dedham, Ma.ss. 
Mr. Thomas D. Coleman 

Chairman S«-h'ctnien, \V«-llc>lev, Ma.«w, 
Mr. James A. Chickerin^' 

Chairman Scleclmen. Dover. Mjt.s.s. 
Rev. John F. (ileason .\mherst. Mass. 

Rev. Rolx-rt L. Wel.h Haverhill. Mass. 

Rev. Fn'<|eri<k Pemher Wot Ko\l»ury. Mass. 

Mr. (iror^e N. Smitii Welloh-y, Mjlss. 



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NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



LIST OF PERSONS ACCEPTING INVITATION 

His Excellency Eugene N. Foss Governor 

His Honor Louis A. Frothingham Lieut. Governor 
Hon. John W. Weeks Representative in Congress 
Hon. Albert P. Langtry Secretary of State 

Hon. James M. Swift Attorney General 

Hon. J. Stearns Gushing Councillor 

Hon. Charles H. Pearson Senator 

Hon. Joseph Walker Speaker of House 

Hon. Charles E. Hatfield Mayor of Newton 

Hon. Byron B. Johnson Ex-Mayor of Waltham 
Hon. Frederick D. Ely Judge Superior Court 

Hon, James H. Flint Judge of Probate Court 

Hon. John F. Merrill County Commissioner 

Hon. Silas A. Stone County Commissioner 

Hon. Evan F. Richardson County Commissioner 
Mr. Horatio Hathaway, Jr. 

Representative to General Court 
Rev. George Whitaker Somerville, Mass. 

Rev. N. T. Whitaker Lowell, Mass. 

Prof. Channing Whitaker Tyngsboro, Mass. 

Mr. John H. Burdakin 

Register of Deeds Norfolk County 
Mr. Samuel H. Capen Sheriff Norfolk County 

Mr. Henry D. Humphrey Treasurer Norfolk Co. 
Rev. Edward A. Horton 

Chaplain Massachusetts Senate 
Rev. Robert L. Webb Haverhill, Mass. 

Rev. John F. Gleason South Amherst, Mass. 

Mr. Thomas D. Coleman 

Selectman, Wellesley, Mass. 
Mr. George N. Smith Selectman, Wellesley, Mass. 
Mr. Fred H. Kingsbury 

Town Clerk, Wellesley, Mass. 
Mr. John H. Faulk Town Clerk, Dover, Mass. 

Rev. Charles E. Sawtelle Baptist Clergyman 

Rev. Edward Marsh Methodist Clergyman 

Rev. J. Adams Puffer Unitarian Clergyman 



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nil ST STKPS 



R<*v. NVwton HIiM'k Ki)is<o{)aI fMf^r^'vin.in 

Ut'v. .lolin (If LiiM. WiildroM 

( 'onj^rc^iitioiiiil ( Icr^^yiiiJiii 
Mr. J. ('. Hrimltlfcniii Ivlifor Nrwioii (iraplii*' 

Mr. .loliii !•". Uyaii litlilor Wrllrslcy 'rowiiMiuiil 

As the tiiiu- of the cclchr.-it iuii drew near, t Ikti- 
was a f^'ciicral iii<T»'a>j' of iiitrrrst aiiiotij^ the citi/j-ns, 
who with coiiiinciKlahlc j)ri(lt' put thrir otatcs in ordt-r 
so that Wfll kept hiwus and handsomely di'coratrd 
huihliii^s wiTt' the ordrr of the day. Hiisiiicss phacrs 
and mamifactorirs wen* also profusely drajxd with 
liiintiii;,' and the national colors. I'he stri'ets were 
ch'aiied, and in many |)laees the sidewalks edited, so 
that Ihr town |)resented a tid,\ and well kr|)t appear- 
ance. 

I'lider the direction of. and lar<;e|y through (lie 
etforts of Mr. lOdmund ( i. I'ond, a Iteantifnl I^md St an<l 
was erected on the ("ommon, at a cost of nearly mx 
hnndred dollars. The Needhani iiojird of Trade ^avc 
one hnndreii dollars; the halance was contrilnit<'d l>y 
citi/ens intere>led in the ohject. who appr«'ciale<l the 
|)ul)lic spirit of those who or;;anize<l and de\eloped the 
Needham Military Hand. 

Tlie Town Hall was painted and the dome Lrildi-d. 
every pnhlic Iniildin^^'in the town was drape(l with Inml- 
in^'. the decorations of th<> Town Ilall heirii^ most 
artistic in desij^n, photographs of which are tiled with 
the archives of the town. 



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SOMK INTKRKSTIXG LKTTKUS 



The Whit.- II..11.C. Wiixhington, May 20, I'.tll. 

Honorable John W. W kkks, 
House of Representatives, 
Washinpton, I). C 

My dear Mr. NNCeks: — 

The Presidi'iil has r(M|ui'st((l iiie to ackiiowlcd^'c the re- 
ceipt of your hotter of May 'ZiMh and to thank you cordially 
for your courtesy in asking him to attend the two hundredth 
anniversary of the founding of the town of Needhani, Ma-o- 
achusetts, on S<*ptenilH'r ISth. As he has tentative engage- 
ments in the West on the days you mention, he regrets 
exceedingly that it will not he possible to accept your inf)st 
attractive invitation. It affords him much pleasure, how- 
ever, to send his hcst wishes for a successful anniversary. 

Sincerely yours, 

CH.VHLKS n. IIII.LES, 

Secretary to the President. 



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NEEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



Washington, Sept. 17, 1911 

The President 

regrets his inability to accept 

the courteous invitation of 

The Town of Needham 

to be present at the 

Celebration of the Bicentennial Anniversary 

of the incorporation of the Town 

September 17, 18, and 19 

1911 



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S<)MK INTIHI '^TIV*; I KTTKW^ 



Huckfirld, Oxford Co.. Mc. Au^'. .'iO, ll»ll. 
My (lour Sir: — 

I Hin in nM't'ipt f)f your kind invitation to the niccntcnnial 
of No<'dlmni. it luivin^ Imhmi forwjirdrd to mh' hrrc when- I 
iiin stayirij^ ii frw wrrks. I jiin not lik«-Iy to rrturn to Mii-.sii- 
<'liuscfts in time* to uttrnd ut Nrrdlmin, and I iiin thcrrforc 
ohli^cd to fon-j^o tlw ph'asurr of Ikmii^; with yon at that tinn*. 
I can only srnd my thanks for the conrtr'^y rxt<*nd<'d nir and 
my conlial j^immI wishrs for thi* (K-casion. Ni'<*ilham is <»m* 
of our ancient towns, and its historical asscK-iations in the 
pnst and its presrnt proj^rossivf spirit which has nuidc it such 
a dcH>,'litfnl town, well justify the honor you do it \>y this 
coinuu'inoratiuu. 

\ cry truly yourjj, 

JOHN 1). IX)NG. 



Cio Home Hay, Ontario, Canada, S<«pt. 'i, I'.Ul. 
My Diar Mr. Sutton:— 

To you and to your Committee I n-turn appreciative and 
hearty thanks for the honor of the invitation from the town 
of Nei'tlham, to its notable celehratioti. I accept it with the 
earnest hop** that nothing' will arise to |)revent my attend- 
ance, at the l)an(|Uet ciTtaiidy, and at other exercises if pos- 
sil)le. I end ujy vacation here on S<>pteml>er Sth, ^<)ing to 
Moslon at once. 

The jjchhI name and leadership of New England were creat- 
e<l hy the town loyalty. t«)wn meeting's, town sch(M)Is, town 
character, — and Ne<'<lham shares nobly in that lustrous 
history. Your anniversary commemoration will not only 
testify to ^'ratilu<ie aii<l faithful remembrance on the part of 
the livinji present, but the (xcasioii will direct attention to 
S4»ur<es of civic worth and intej^rity, too oft«'n negle<-teil in 
theM" strenuous times. 

May prupitiou.s skies and favoring circumsLanccs help fullil 
your plau3. 

Sincerely yours, 

EDWARD A. HOHTON. 
To Mr. Thomas Sutton, Scc'y. 



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NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



9 September 1911. West Roxbury, Mass. 

The Rev. Frederick Pember presents his compliments 
to the Chairman and Secretary of the Committee for the 
celebration of the bicentennial anniversary, and begs to thank 
them for their very kind invitation to be present. He deeply 
regrets that a prior engagement makes it impossible for him 
to accept it. He will be in the White Mountains, New Hamp- 
shire, which will deprive him of what would have been a 
great pleasure. 



South Amherst, Mass., 

Sept. 8, '11. 

Messrs. Wm. G. Moseley, Thomas Sutton, Henry T. 

Childs, et al.. 
Dear Sirs: — 

I appreciate the honor you have conferred on me in 
inviting me to the Banquet at the Bicentennial Celebration. 
Save a seat for me. I hope to be present. 

Yours sincerely, 

J. F. GLEASON. 



Haverhill, Mass., Sept. 14, 1911. 
My dear Bro. Sutton : — 

I am in receipt of the invitation to the celebration of 
the Bicentennial Anniversary of the Town of Needham. 

As you well know I have a warm place in my heart for 
the old town and for many of its good people. 

My heart therefore says, go to this celebration and renew 
old acquaintances, and I shall obey this command. 

I thank you for the invitation and anticipate much 
pleasure in attending the exercises. Will you kindly send 
me a program of the celebration. 

Cordially yours, 

ROBERT L. WEBB. 



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HOMK INTKUKSTINC I.KTTKItH 



Nccdham, Mass., Sept. 4th, 1911. 

Mr. Thomas Sitton, Town Clerk of Needluiiii, aiul Serre- 

tnry of Sjicciiil ( 'oiiiiiiittce. 
Dear Sir: — 

The invitation to ht" a ^'urst of llir Town of Nifdhjirii 
at the celebration of the Hicentennial .\nniversary of its in- 
cori)oration is accepted with words of David l*.s. 10:0 "The 
lines are fallen with ine in pleasant places; yea, I have a 
^'(UMlly heritage." Horn hy the I^)r(lly Hudson, son of the 
Knij)ire Slate, since IS'.l'i the Old Hay Statr has Ik'cii my 
love, and the past of Old New Hngland very precious. 

Trusting to worthily honor the Town, I am yours in 
.service to preserve the Commonwealth. (i(k1 hless the 
Town of Necdham. 

Yours truly, 

Rev. JOHN De L.\M0NTAIG\E WALDRON. 



Hon. Wm. (J. MosELEY, Needham, Mass. 
My dear Sir: — 

I thank you and the citizens of Needham for the honor 
conveyed in the invitation tt> the Hicentennial .Xnnivcrsary, 
and will do any work however hunihle to Ixvstow the honor 
which is due to the men and women who have contributed 
to the civic life of our town. 

Sincerely yours, 

Sept. 10, 11>11. J. ADAMS riFFKR. 



August 22. '11. 
Mk. Tiio.s. Si tto.n, Needham, Ma>s. 
I)<*ar Sir: — 

IMease find inclosed my check for S2r).()0 toward defray- 
ing the ex|M'nses of thf bicentennial of the town of Ne«Mlli;im. 
I shall 1h' on hand to jtartieipale in the ceK-bration along with 
six other former n'-.idenls of the town. Wishing you every 
suece.Hs, I am 

Yours very truly, 

JOHN SPICER. 



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FIRST EXERCISES 



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©jr I-MRST CHURCH IN NKl^DHAM 
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HISTORICAL 

TABLET 

UNVEILED 



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MONDAY. MARCH 20 

At 7.30 o'clock 



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PROGRAM 

Organ Voluntary Mrs. Edith Lyman 

\A^elcome Rev. J. Adams Puffer 

AN OLD-TIME SERVICE 

Short Prayer 

Anthem — "Before Jehovah s Awful Throne " 

Reading of Scriptures Rev. Newton Black 

Hymns "Russia," "Complaint" Rev. Edward Marsh 

Long Prayer Rev. J. D. Waldron 

Hymns — " David's Lamentations," " Northfield ' 

Extracts from Jonathan Townsend's Sermons 

Rev. William R. Lord 

Anthem " Jerusalem My Glorious Home" 



HISTORICAL SP:KVICE 

U^vcllln^; of Tablet Frederick S. Kinnsbury 

Emily Holland Kinjisbury 
Alvin Gay Stevens 

The BcKl"r>^"^; "* O^'^ Church George K. Clarke 

Musjc ol Yc Olden Time John F. Mills 

Extracts from Early Records William W. Peck 
Hymn "Old Hundred" 

Benediction Rev. Edward Marsh 



SOCIAL HOUK IN rHK CHAFKL 



i:XKU( ISKS AT I'lli: FII{S'i' 1»AKI-II 

Anticipating soniowliat tijc celohration in S«'i)t«'in- 
l)er. tlu' First i*ari.sli cliiircli luld a iiiciiiorial M-rvicr 
on March *£(), to coinujcinoratc tlic Ix-^'iiniiiij,' of piihlic 
worship ill Nccdhain. the j)riM(ipal feature of whicli 
was tlio iinveiHn^' of an historical tablet in the pres- 
ence of a larj^e audience. The exercises were all of 
tle«'P interest and closely followed. Aft«'r an or^'an 
voluntary hy Mrs. Kdith Lynum, the pastor, Kev. J. 
Adams I'utfer, extended a hearty welcome. Then 
followed an old time .service parlicii)ated in hv Kev. 
E. Marsh of the M. K. Church, Rev. Newton Black of 
Christ Church, Itev. J. I). Waldron of the Kvanj,'elical 
Con^re;,'ational Church, and Kev. Wm. K. Lord of 
Dover. ( )ld time music was rendered by a choir .seatetJ 
in balcony at the rear of the church, (leo. K. Mitchell, 
leader, accomj)aniiMl by strin^j^l instruments. 

The tablet, which is the desii^n and handiwork of 
J. F, Holmes, is of mahoKimy, with ^'ilt inta^dio letter- 
ing. It is five by seven feet, surrounded with white 
bordering' and surmounted with scroll-work of Colonial 
style of the same color, and received many compli- 
ments. It is placed (tii tiie wall at the ri^'ht, facing,' the 
pulpit. 

The in.scription is as follows: 



127 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

The First Church in Ncedham 

Public Worship 1711 

Church Embodied 1720— Parish Organized 1778 

First Meeting House built 1712 — Destroyed by fire 
in 1773 — Second House built 1774 — Taken down and 
Third House built and dedicated 1837 — Moved to 
present site 1879 and re-dedicated — Chapel built 
and dedicated Oct. 1888 



1720 Jonathan Townsend 1762 



Samuel West 

1764—1788 

Stephen Palmer 

1792—1821 

William Ritchie 

1821—1842 

Lyman Maynard 

1842—1846 

Charles H. A. Dall 

1847—1850 

James F. Hicks 

1852—1853 

George G. Channing 

1853—1855 

Andrew N. Adams 

1855—1857 



John S. Barry 

1858—1860 
George B. Emerson 



Albert B. Vose 



Solon W. Bush 



1860—1866 



1870—1871 



1871—1889 



Charles A. Allen 



1889—1893 



Philip S. Thacher 



1894—1901 



William W. Peck 



1901—1908 



J. Adams Puffer 



1908- 



281 



FIHST KXKiniRKH 



Tlic littli- (liildmi who im\rilc(l if wcrr Mniily 
Holland Kin^'slmry and Alvin (iay Stfvcns, drsccndants 
of llu' first faiiiilifs of tin- parisli. FrcMJrrick S. Kiii^s- 
hiiry, ^Tcat ^'nat ^randxtii of K<'V. Sfrplu-ii I'almtr, 
an<l also lia\ iiij^' a family coniu-ction willi Kcv. .lona- 
tlian I'owiiscnd. tin- fir>t iniiii.stcr, rca<l tlu- iiiscriplioiis. 

Tlu' four hoys who pa.s.si'd the pro^rrain.s, were also 
dcscrndaiits of the early familic's. and wt'r«> Ilarrdd 
Mcintosh, Raymond Mills, (Iny Mcintosh and Lau- 
rence Katon. 

Papers of much interest were read l>y (ieo. K. 
Clarke on "The He^innin^ of our ("hurcli" and l»y 
John F. Mills on "Music of ye ()i(len Tyme," while 
extracts from early records were read l»y \Vm. W . I'cck. 

At the close of the formal pro^'ram a social hour 
was enjoyed in the ehapel wIktc the Ladies' Aid So- 
ciety served their ^niests with an ahundant supple of 
lii;ht refreshments. Ihrr were on exhihition r«'lics of 
the olden time, portraits, hooks, music, manuscripts 
of sermons, etc., tiiis feature receiving' nuich attention 
from the visitors. 



(20 



Tin-: lUCKNTKNNIAL CIIKoNK LK 



THE HI( KNTENNIAL ClllUJMCLE 

As tilt' inmicdiato forc-niniHT of the cclcl)rati()n. 
The Nccdhuni Chruniclc issued on Saturday, Si'i)tcin- 
ber 16, a sixtt'on-pa^'f nuinlxT known a.s tlu* " Hiccntcn- 
iiial Clironiclc." Of tliis edition, t lire*' thousand sev<'n 
Inindrrd (•o|)ies were j)rint('d and <ii>t ril)nled tlirouj^li 
the Chronicle's regular channels. It contained articles 
which, taken tof^ether, made a ^'ooti resume of the his- 
tory of the town from its founding' to the present; 
contrihutions fn)in tlie older residents ; half-tone views 
of the puMic huildin^'s, picturescpie spots, and princi- 
pal business huildinfjs; portraits of town officers and 
[)rominent citizens, and much matter of interest con- 
cerning' the town in recent years. The edition was 
printed in Nee<ilunn, and was handled entirely by 
Needliam talent. Thirty reams of paper, wei^'hin^j 
eighteen hundred pounds, were used in its production. 
Copies of this edition have been filed in the permanent 
archives of the town. 



[Xi 



Tin: ( KLKlUiA'l ION 



I " I I I '; I 1 

() 1 i 1 ( I \ I r K () ( . K \ M o/' ///,• 
l; u i \ I I \ \ I \ I c I I I r. K \ r ION 

V the I () W \ () I \ I I I) I 1 \ M 
M \ s > \ ( 1 I I s I. I I .^ 




ScptcinlKT 1"', I S, ;iiul I <; 
>iiiul.i\, Mniul;u aiiil 'l'in--ti.i\ 



SUNDAY, SEPT. 17, 1911 

Special services at all the churches 
in keeping with the occasion 



12.00 M. The First Parish Sunday School, accompanied by delegations 

from other schools will march to the cemetery and decor- 
ate graves of past ministers and Sunday School superin- 
tendents. 

8.00 P. M. Band Concert at Needham Heights 

4.00 p. M. \'espers at tlie First Parish Churcii. ("ireetings from Ded- 
ham First Parish (the mother church) and Wellesley Con- 
gregational, the Second Church in Needham. Double 
Quartet ; Violin Solo, Mrs. F. C. Peabody; Contralto Solo, 
Miss Adah Gay Fuller. 

T.:>0 V. M. Sacred Concert at Town Hall, by Needham Military Band 
followed by addre.ss by Dr. VV. H. P. Faunce, President of 
Brown University. The Hovvland Class Male Quartet will 
sing. 

MONDAY, SEPT. 18 

9.00 A. M. One mile race. 

0.80 .A. M. Children's Entertainment in the Town Hall from !».80 to 12. 

10.00 A. M. Base Ball Match between Needham V. M. C. A. and Swamp- 
scott A. C, on Greene's field. 

1.80 r. .\i. The following list of sports will take place : 

100 yard run. Trial heats. 

75 yard for boys under 14. Trial heats. Handicapped at 

start. 

100 yard finals. 

T-") vard, boys under 14, finals. 

Rvuming hi^h jump 

Shot put ; 12 lij shot. 

Broad jump. 

220 yard trial heats. 

Girls under 14, 75 yards. Handicapped at start. 



220 ynni finals 

Sack race. S' i (•< l« 

'NO yard run 

Potato race, •■•• \.imi, m i.m u 

K«0 yard run. 

7..'W» V. M Town Hall. Addresses l)y Hon. Charlcn Francis Adams 
and (icorRP K. Clarke Ks(|. Original poem by Mrs J. <i. A 
Carter, read liy Kostoe A Carter. Music by Nccdbam 
Military Hand, and Male Chorus under direction of Fred S. 

Mir. hinl 

TUESDAY, SEPT. 19 

tMM» A.M. Civic and Trades Parade will form in Needham Square 
at ft with F.. (j. Pond as marshal, and proceed over the 
following route : HiRhland avenue to May street, to Webster 
street, to Highland avenue, to Alfreton road, to Conant 
street, to Hunnewell street, to Hillside avenue, to West 
street, to Hit;hland avenue, to (ireat Plain avenue, to Warr.*n 
street, to .Srhnol street, to Chestnut street, to Oak street, to 
Maple street, to Great I'lain avenue and dislKind at 
Needham .S»|uare. 

J.ito !•. M. Hanipiet in Town H.ill. Congressman Weeks. (iovem«»r 
Foss, Mavoi Fit/Gerald, Kev F.dwar<l 1.. Horton. Rev. 
GeorRe Whitaker, Mayor C harUs K. Hattield, Hon. B. B. 
John.son and others have been invited and arc expected to 
speak. iJre.ss informal. 

8.00 I' M. Town Hall. Kxerciscs closinK with ball, (irand March 
led by Henry T. Childs, Chairman of Selectmen. 

Historic and Art Loan Exhibition 

^lllltl.l\, .MniKt.iy aiiil Tuesday in High School Hall in » liarne •»! 
New Century C"lub. 

The First Parish Meeting Hou.se will l>e open to visitors during the 
tluie ilavs of the Bicentennial. Reception to former mcml»crs and oW- 
iim<- rt sidenls. On Monday and Tues<lay from :l to .'>, tea will l>e serveil. 

.'\n exhibit of curios collected by Chas. H. Mitchell will be shown 
.,1 th. P.impinK Station during the three days. 



SUNDAY. SEPTEMBER 1 



EXERCISES IN OUR CHrRCHES 




Ill \ -i i.nu A I' \i Mil; 




i III -I < "i\i» \ii.i;ii\(. 11(11 -I. 
\ii.i ii\(. iioi -I. \\i> \ii\i-n;i{ <»i iMi 



OUR CHURCHES 

One hundred years ago there was hut one church 
(The First Parish) in the territory now comprising the 
town of Needhani; and the only celehration of which 
we have any information, was a notahh* historical 
sermon by the pastor of that church. Rev. Stephen 
Palmer, which has been preserved and has recently 
been printed in full in the local paper, The Needhatn 
Chronicle. 

There are now seven churches, all well housed and 
prosperous. The following pages contain an account 
of their contributions to this Bicentennial celebration. 
It is to be rcgri'tti'd that in several the addresses were 
not reported, but tliey were nevertheless full of en- 
thusiasm and hcljjful in adding interest to the occasion. 



»*€ 




• U ^ j> T 




Oni rinitriiiN I iHsr r'Mtlsll KXKHflHKH 

1711 1!)11 

TllK FIRST (J(JN(iiU:(.Ari()\ AL ( Illi;( II 1\ 
NKKDIIA.M 

(Initarinn) 
Sijiul.iy Sfplcinhcr 17. I!>ll 
in:\. J AD WIS I'l II- Kit. IVilur 

10.15 «. m lll^T()l{U AL CinRril SERVIPK — EifrncU 
frum llir (tiitiiry StTiimn i»f ISII 

SERMON i«v rm: i'vstou 

ANTHEM liV IIU: I'AUISII I^IMITET 

MISS MAUY A. TIHDALK UKUMKHT N. MITrUELL 

mas FLOUKNCK K. KATON JAMF_S K. TISUALK 

SOl'UANO S(H.()S l.y Miv* Ti-.UI.- 

12.00 m SI .Nl).\^' S('H(K)L nuircli tn crim-tory and lieojrBtr (frnvci 

of jhlhI iiiiiii.Htcr.t unci Suntlny St-lu»«)l nflitfn 

4.00 p. III. \ H'^I'EU SEUVR1>^ 

ANTHEM in DOI mm: t^l MMKT 

CONTRALTO SOUJ. Mi« Adah (J Fuller 

\ lULlN bOLUS. Mrs E C. Pcabody 



(tt 



ADDRESS OF RKN . WUJ.IAM II. NNAl.KKK 

MINISTF.R FIRST CHURril AND FARIHH 
DKDMAM (moTIIKR TOWN') 

"Frioiuls, it is iiKiccd a i)l('a.Mir(' as niinistcr of the 
parent First Parisli Chiireh of Dedham, to conpratti- 
latc tliis (lau^'litcr clmrcli ii{)on lirr two }nin<ir<<ltli 
l)irtli(lay. It is a phasnrr too. to bear tliat old text: 
'Stand in the ways and see and ask for the ohl pat lis.' 

The tendency to belittle the past is altogether too 
prevalent. We are most of ns given to eoninii.serating 
the colonists. That the few score families who settled 
along the Charles never scratched a match, baked 
with gas, read by electric light, u.sed a telej)hone, trav- 
elled by steam or electric power, telegraphed tlu-ir 
hnrried messages, or decimated distance with an auto- 
mobile. That they lackt-d these conveniences nsually 
arou.ses our pity. Hut has not life been well lived and 
can it not be even comfortably and happily lived with- 
out all our modern inventions? The natural sw«'et- 
ness of life was maiidy soure<l then as it always has 
been and will be soured by misunderstandings, jeal- 
ousies and illwill, and not by lack of steam, electric or 
gasolene power. If the quickness of transportation 
di«l not make homecoming so fre(|uetit, neither diij it 
make leavetaking so iii\iting. 

Both the temporary and the enduring satisfactions 
cxistcfi in colonial times. Such temporary satisfnc- 



(45 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



tions as the exhilaration of sunshine after cloud and of 
cool bracing weather after a torrid week belonged to 
them as much as to any generation that ever came and 
went. The deeper satisfactions such as the joy of 
working, the success of one's efforts, a cellar filled for 
winter, fuel enough, and the restoration to health of 
those near to us — such satisfactions were theirs. The 
still deeper satisfactions like the sense of filling a place 
in the working world and the sense of filling a niche 
in someone's affection so that one feels neither useless 
nor unloved,^ — such satisfactions belonged as much to 
the earlier as to the present inhabitants of this river 
basin. That they should have called this plantation 
Contentment before naming it Dedham, is proof that 
they needed not that cheap commiseration a progres- 
sive present usually showers upon the past. 

Another factor which hinders us in seeing the old 
ways and walking in the old paths is the forgetfulness 
of the world as we now know it. I dare to believe that 
there is nothing hid which shall not be finally mani- 
fested and that the minds of those gone before are keep- 
ing their memories, I believe, too, that our hidden 
helpers will be revealed and that the fog of obscurity 
and ignorance which envelops us here will be lifted 
that we may know as we are known by the All Known 
above. That is my faith, yet time has almost obliter- 
ated traces of seventeenth century life in this imme- 
diate locality. How meagre the records. They can 
be read in a few hours, and after much reading how 
little we glean of what was for those people the most 
interesting drama ever played. We are not an histori- 
cally minded people. Even the prominent are soon 
forgotten. Our great grandfathers may be known to 
us through a recorded will or through an early census 
so that we know the number of their acres, slaves, 
cattle and horses, and the amount of taxes they paid. 



46] 



ftl |{ ( HI l{< lUS MUST PAKISII KXKItf ISh;s 



It is hard to iina^'iiic vt-ry clearly I lit- daily life, the 
ruling idras, tlir jjriiicipal iiilrrcsts of <»rir who may 
have ^'iviTi lis our disposition and our lumu' and yt-t it 
i.s almost wholly ol)s<urf«l hy I In* for^M-lful yrars. 

If wr kiu)w liflh' of iiulividuals in whom wr arc 
intcrt'stcd throu>;h liiu-a^e, we know morr of tin- rarlirr 
p'Urrations as a whole, ^^hat w«rc their ehara<t er- 
istics? Kase, IndependeiKc, Seriousness and N«iKh- 
i)orliness. 

Ease is the mood of the old [)ainti[i^s. A (om- 
posite fjieture of a hundred old |)ainlin^'s uoidd show 
a restfulness not so often found to<lay. It is not a 
stolidity resulting; from indifrerence. i^'n(»rance and 
laziness. It is the [)eaceful temper of tliox- who are 
not hein^ pushed and driven and harried throu^'h lift'. 
There was ease not only in their faces hut in their 
architecture. There was very very little of the straiiu <l, 
the fanciful and the trivial in their construction. Their 
houses looked easy, natural and dignified. They were 
not intent as many seem to he, upon imio\ation. The 
di.scipline of waiting until moiu-y was earned ^ave time 
to study i)Ians. They huilt few hon.ses that .seenied 
like half thou^dits or second thou;;hts. 

The old manuscripts reveal h'ss ner\'ousness, les.s 
triviality; greater ^'race and ^'reater ease in hand 
writing'. They lived before life ha«l heen artifically 
speed<'d up to its pn'sent pace. Piece workers in our 
factories complain that stron^'-hodied, <|uick-»iiin(led, 
and niml)le-fin;,'ered oj)erators set a pact* for the ma- 
chinery and a standard for pay, that the less strong and 
skilful can only with over exertion maintain. The sanu' 
tiling' has taken place in every liiu* of work today. Life 
has heen speeded up until ease of maimer and serenity 
of mind are not the American charac terist i( s. 

Ind«*|)endenee was also a trait of the older time. 
It was nt)t the securitv our time has attained throu^'h 



147 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



surgery, medicine, insurance and modern interest in 
health. The records as kept by the ministers of the 
parent church at Dedham show that contagion claimed 
many a life that modern medicine could save. Sum- 
mer took a fearful toll of babies as precious then as 
now. We have reached some measure of security 
in these respects. But they, upon their farms and 
gardens were more secure in their work. No change 
of fashion or introduction of machinery or lapse of 
years made their work precarious. Frugal habits 
warded off disease. Saving was a security against 
want and a heritage for the generation following. They 
made this a prosperous locality. 

Neighborliness filled a place in colonial times well 
nigh unimaginable today. Neighbors helped raise the 
frame of house or barn, built stone fences, exchanged 
work at harvests, held bees for the needy, reaped the 
crops when the farmer was ill, supplied the chairs at 
party, funeral or wedding, logged, quilted, and watched 
the sick. Men's interests were not divisive. Beyond 
the boundary stone wall was very likely a man doing 
precisely the same thing in the same season. It was 
a companionable life, a community of men who under- 
stood one another's cares and difficulties. We go far 
to associate with men of the same professions and 
problems. They had a companionship of similar 
workers in their neighbors. 

The element of seriousness in the colonial mind is 
very easily overdrawn. We must not give too great 
weight to the testimony of the cavaliers that the Puri- 
tan mind had no lighter moods. The destructive 
testimony of another class or an opposing party is poor 
testimony, for one party or class can never understand 
another. That the Puritan was without humor is im- 
possible. That there are few evidences of their lighter 
vein we all know. It is hardly to be expected that 



48] 



OIR rnrRfTIES- FTRftT PARIHn EXFTirisrs 



piiMiV records or wills or dcrds would he written in 
joking' mood, (ianu-s and .sports, wit and jr>t iiad 
currencv then as now. It wa.s a serious life the col- 
onists faced. The nuiker of ^eegaws, puzzles, trinkets 
and silly u.sele.ss wares has .some excu.se for a trivial 
view of life. It is a trivial hiisiness that he is in. One's 
business inevitably colors liis philosoi)hy and our rc- 
lif^'ion. The num of illej^itinuite business creates for 
himself a lawless world and a lawless (ickI. TIh' usual 
.seriousness of the forefathers was a resultant of the 
serious situation they faced, the transformation of a 
wild«'rness, tin* organization of a ^overnuH-nt, pro- 
tection from Indians, the stamping out of contagions, 
the erection of school houses and meeting liouses. New 
En>.jland seriousness lias its fibre runiiini; <iire<tly into 
the tissue of stout hearts. 

Tlie family nowliere meant more than in tlu-.se old 
Charles River towns. The emphasis was on the family 
almost as much as in j)atriarchal times. Families 
worked together an<l played together and wor>hip|)«d 
together. And they were real families in size. The 
number of .sons exhausted the names of favorite dis- 
ciples and made a good start on the list of the pro[)hets. 
riiere were not enough well known women's names in 
the Hible for the daughters. The old occupations were 
family o<'cupations. The son had a better start when 
he grew up in the business of his father. Skill is not 
unknown when it is learned in the multiple industries 
of the colonial farm. i'lic family occupation had a 
cementing tendency largely gone today wlu-n vari«*(I 
work leads us into various outside circles. Family 
games and family worship seem far distant in these 
days of tlw fanniy hold and the thousand annisi-ments 
that tak»' thr Inindrrds of thousands out of lln-ir homes 
and attempt for them a ncreation tln'y <annot pro- 
vide for theniselveij. The home and faniilv bulk far 



(49 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



smaller in these latter days. A generation of mothers 
is needed wise enough, skilful enough and determined 
enough to bring the home back to its central place. 

And finally, much as we like to view again the 
old ways and travel the old paths, they are gone and 
gone forever so far as this present existence is concerned. 
We would not bring them back, and yet in our absorp- 
tion in the new we would not belittle the virtues of the 
elders. They had ease. Their busy lives were spent 
in ways of quietness and in paths of peace. Theirs 
was the security they themselves won through in- 
dustry, frugality and thrift — a security like ours is 
only partial, for the salvation, the continuance and the 
consummation of all our lives rests with Him who alone 
is secure and eternal. They were neighborly then as 
befits those who have discovered that our origin, our 
hopes, our ills, our satisfactions and our destinies are 
one. They were serious because they had work to do 
and were in an earnest world. They lived the family 
life and glorified it. They made it mean so much for 
later generations that the older men and women among 
us say with deep regret, 'I am the last of my name.' 

The older life is not wholly gone and it certainly 
is not without influence. There are many in this 
showy, nervous, speeded-up age leading the easy, con- 
tented, serious, neighborly family life which had God's 
favor two centuries ago and receives it today." 



50] 



ADDHi^s or Hi.\ wii.i.iAM w. sF.r.i:ri:R 

PASTOH oi TiiK \vki.i,f:si.kv ( ( ).n(;hkc;ati<)\ ai. ( inruii 

" MfinlxTs nu(\ Frii'nds of The First Parish (Imrch of 

Nri'dliaiii: 

I am licrc I his jiftcrriooii lo hriii^ you ^rcftinps 
from yoiir dau^'litcrl 

If th<' roun of Nccdliam wen- ((•It-hratiii^ it.s 
ses(|uicentcnnial, and thr dau^littT c Inircli wtTt' [)rrsent 
by a rcprcscnf ativc, tliat n'|)rcsrntat iv«* woiihl have 
hrtMi introdiicfil as coming', not from Wclhslcy. hut 
from West Nccciham; and had it Itrcn tin* ccntciMiial 
iusfi'ad of thr hiccnlcnniah then thf rrproM'ntativc 
would haw haih'd from the "West Parisli" nuTfly. 

'Ilu' citi/cns of W«'llcsh'y rcmcmlxT today the 
st(^ry of the ori^'in of tlirir hcautiful and thriving town, 
and they are not ashamed to confess tliat their civic 
inde[)endence spans a period of only thirty years, while 
for almost one lumdred years j)reviously the moth«T- 
town shelt<T«'d under her protettini; win^s lier cliildreii 
who cliose th<-ir honu-s West of the (treat I'laiti anti 
North of the Ili^ddands. 

Many in this au<h<'nce w«ll r«-meml»er the \<.irs 
wInn tlie Town Hall in the forest was the rallying' spot 
for the elans who f^alluTcd from »*a.st and west, and 
strove to^'ether in hrotherly fa.sliion over matters 
of communal interest. Now each town ha.s ita stately 



l« 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



civic building, and the old wooden forum, after hous- 
ing in luxury the meagre company of the elect poor of 
both towns for a number of years, now offers hospitality 
under another and more inviting form. 

It is not my task to speak to you regarding town 
affairs. I come simply as the mouthpiece of the 
daughter church. And yet my story begins in a town 
meeting, which none of you — not even the oldest citi- 
zen of the older town — can possibly remember, since 
it took place in the year 1774. It was the conclusion 
of a series of stormy meetings that followed one another 
at frequent intervals for nine months. The all im- 
portant question under debate was, where a new 
meeting-house should be located. Fancy such a ques- 
tion disturbing a modern town meeting! Our fathers 
made religion the principal thing, and they were con- 
sumed by zeal for the Lord's House. Let their sons 
and grandsons and great grandsons sit up and take 
notice ! 

In October of the previous year — 1773 — the old 
historic structure that had served the entire population 
of Needham as their only and sufficient house of wor- 
ship, was burned to the ground. And already the 
families living toward the West were complaining bit- 
terly because they had to travel so far to attend church. 
These heroic people of the olden days did not make the 
distance an excuse for staying away from public 
worship; but it seemed to them sufficient reason for 
making a vigorous effort to rebuild the edifice at the 
center of the town. Hence the repeated town meet- 
ings. But the eloquent voters of the West failed to 
convince the stalwart men of the East that they ought 
to pitch their tabernacle in the wilderness, remote from 
the settlements on either side, and we are very glad 
indeed that your church fathers stood manfully by the 
original location, and brought out a majority vote in 



92] 



OTH « UInrilKM- HHST rAHlSM KXTRflSKS 



favor of rtl)wil<lin^ on tlic old sliv. And fiow I must 
^o on und tell of sonu'thin^ wliitli o<'<urrrd out.sidt* of 
toNsn nu'ftin^. ami which shows that the mm of 
Nt'cdham were rarly risers, and that drtcrmiiu'd nunor- 
ities vfvrv not easily disoouragc<l wlu-n their heart 
was fixed. 

It was a morning? in August, 1771. The scene 
was the great stK-ial function of the olden time, called 
"a raising." I'he solid frame of the new meeting 
house had been hewn out and put together, and now 
it was to he raised and placed t)n the massive sills — 
tent)n tilting mortise, and the whole jointed together 
very much as the Apostle I'aul describes the Living 
Church in one of his epistles. To lift one of these 
huge struetures wa.s no easy work. The entire nuile 
j)opulation of the town was summoned. Hut the men 
of the Kast were su.sj)icious of their western brethren 
— and with reason, I regret to say. So at half-pa.st five 
o'clock in the morning, the men of Needham got at the 
work, (juite in the spirit of llezekiah's men as they 
raised the walls of Jerusalem. \i nine o'clock an army 
of sturdy volunteers from the West ai)peared on the 
seene — too late to helj) — or to hinder! In the journal of 
the Rev. Sanuiel West where this incident is recorded, it 
is said,—* When they found the work in such forward- 
ness, they were discouraged, and prudently withdrew, 
although with nmch resentment and many threats.' 

And yet, not discouraged! For in June of that 
very year, an agreement had been drawn up stating 
tliat if the new meeting-house should be erected on the 
old site, the subscribers would contribute the sums 
opposite their names toward the building of a se|)arate 
church, *on or as near a.s convenient In may be to the 
center of the Wi-stwardly part ' of the town. 

As it proved imj)ossible to prevent, by vote or by 
artifice, the rebuilding on the old location, the re.sult 



(U 



needham's bicentennial celebration 



was the division of the Parish, and the two new meet- 
ing-houses instead of one. The good pastor protested, 
as he had the right to do, against the 'division of 
towns into Httle and generally poor parishes,' pronoun- 
cing this policy extremely injurious to society. 'But 
it is better,' he generously adds in his journal, 'than 
to live in continual contention, and it often happens 
that there is no other alternative.' 

In October, following the "raising," the town voted 
to exempt the inhabitants of the westerly part of the 
town from all charges on account of the new church, 
' provided they do proceed in building a meeting- 
house, and maintain preaching among them.' And 
the men of the West Parish at once began to collect 
material for the new structure, choosing for its location 
the extremely favorable spot where the Wellesley Con- 
gregational Church now stands, a commanding ele- 
vation in the very heart of the village. 

But no one should think that all this ecclesiastical 
earnestness engendered chronic bitterness between the 
two halves of the goodly, and Godly, town of Need- 
ham. Within a year after the famous church war, 
another war broke out which cemented together the 
men of Needham in a friendship that has remained 
unbroken to this day. On the 19th of April, 1775, 
three companies of volunteers from Needham marched 
to Lexington and took part in the opening battle of the 
Revolution. One of these companies was from the 
West Parish; and on the 4th of July, of this present 
year, a tablet to their memory was erected, through the 
generosity of Mrs. Durant, at the East College Gate, 
where this company assembled, at Bullard's Tavern, 
then standing on that spot. Shoulder to shoulder, 
like good townsmen, the men of Needham fought for 
Liberty and for God. Fifty-nine of the eighty-two 
men who signed the agreement to build the new meet- 



54] 



ofu ( innrnKfl — fiust patiihii FxrnrrfliM 



inp house were in lli.it lir^l Rrvoliif ionary hattlc, and 
the war nia<h' the work of (Itiircii rnvtion very 
slow indeed. l*\)r a score of years services were con- 
ducted in a l)are structure with henches for p«'ws, 
and niiK li of the time witli un^da/.cd wind«jws. 

In 17 7s, tlie lx,-Kislature >et uW liie West i*rccincl, 
as a U'^mI hasis for the coUection of cliurch taxes, 
and the West Parish —not yet a re^Mihirly or^'anized 
'Church' — was duly le>,Mli/.ed. Twenty years later — 
in 17!>S -'The Church of Ciiri.st in the'W.-.st Parish 
in Needhanr was formally 'cmhodied,' as the record 
c|uaintly says, and althou«i> eighty-two men had si^'ned 
the ori^'inal ai,'reement for huildiuK', only seven men 
enrolled themselves as charter memlnTs «)f the new 
church, — seven men and thrt'e women. 

But after this lon^ and painful parturition, the 
infant dau^'hter was horn. I cannot take time to tell 
you the story of her life. To us, of tin* old Wot l'ari>h, 
that life has heen «'Ventful, significant and hles.sed with 
a ^iKjd decree of prosperity. A few matters may he 
hriefly summarized as possessing; interest for you of the 
older church. 

Vour dau^'liter church has crecte<l and dedicated, 
since 17!>S, three sui)stantial edifices, the second of 
which is today an integral part of the Dana Hall School 
huihliuK'. The present structure Wius designed hy the 
original architects of Welloley College, an<i with addi- 
tions and im|)rovements, external and internal, most 
comfortably accommodati's the congregation, Sunday- 
school and various organizations of a church that has 
enrolled since its beginning, eleven hundred ami thirty- 
five members, ami has ttxiay a rt'.sident membership 
of three hundred and twenty souls. 'I'he daughter 
church bi-came a mother and the First Parish ("hurch 
a grandmother in 1H47, when the Congregational 
Churcii in .North Ncedham, or (irantville, now Wellesley 



155 



needham's bicentennial celebration 



Hills, was organized. Ten pastors in succession have 
ministered to this church during its hundred and thir- 
teen years of existence. Of these pastorates, the 
longest — thirty-four years — was the first, that of the 
Rev. Thomas Noyes, whose stipulated salary was £100 
and 12 cords of wood per annum. The Rev. Stephen 
Palmer of Needham was present at the ordination, 
and commended the West Parish for the peaceable and 
orderly manner in which the settlement had been made. 
It is recorded of our first pastor, that some of his ser- 
mons, still preserved, were divided into two parts, for 
the morning and afternoon services respectively, and 
that each part would occupy at least an hour in the 
delivery. Our fathers believed in sermons Sundays. 
It would take a modern minister an entire month to 
preach one of those double barreled sermons! It is 
pleasant to record that a hymn-book compiled by the 
Rev. Mr. Palmer, was being used in 1812, by the large 
chorus choir of the West Parish Church. So the 
Mother Church supplied both life and breath to the 
Daughter Church. 

Our records do not exhibit a large number of par- 
ticularly distinguished persons. We are proud rather 
of a high average in the membership of ability and 
character. One of our members, Calvin Ellis Stowe, 
enjoyed a brilliant career as theological professor, and 
earned a still wider fame by his marriage with Harriet 
Beecher, whose pen has immortalized some of the fam- 
ilies of the old West Parish and the neighboring section 
of Natick. On the old Communion Table in Wellesley 
Church there ever rests the great Bible, presented to 
the church by the "Lady Lothrop" of Mrs. Stowe's 
"Old Town Folks." Two of Wellesley's pastors are 
voluminous authors, — the Rev. Harvey Newcomb and 
the Rev. Dr. Abijah Richardson Baker. And Mrs. 
Baker was the "Madeleine Leslie" whose religious tales 



56] 



OITR rHURrHKH — KIHHT PAfilHll K\K.I{<ISKS 



attniiifd very wiili- j)o|)ularity— notaMy "Tiiii llir 
Scissors (iriiidcr.' 

Hut my tiiiu' is lu-arly ^^om-, and I will oidy add, 
rt'^ardiu^' tlir wt-Ifarc of tlir l)aiij,'lit<T (hurcli. that for 
all llu-.>«' years sincr sin* left tin- iiial«Tiial roof, sin- has 
striven ttt fullil worthily her sacred mission of ministry, 
ami Worthily to illustrate and to transmit the hest 
traditions handeil down from n-vereiit ancestors. 

In October 1SJ)H, th«' WellesK'v ( "on^'re^ational 
Church ci'lehrated its ( 'enteiuiial, one of the principal 
address<*s hein^' made hy the Kev. I*. S. 'riiacher (»f this 
First Parish Church. And 1 can find no helter, no 
more Christian sentiment with which to close my 
paper, than a sentence fnun the masterly address of 
l)r. \Vm. Hayes Ward. delivere<l on tiiat occasion. He 
had i)een speaking of the iidluence of the church in the 
nuikin^ of New England, and the spirit of propliecy 
stirrinj^ within him, he added these words: 

*1 seem to see rising' up before me in the coming 
ci'ntury, in no indistinct and misty outline, a fairer 
form of truth than the world has yet seen, tlie dissevered 
fra^'ments of the Church of Christ drawn together by 
that love which every joint supplieth, into one dear 
fi'Uowshij), one Bride of Christ.' 

We are now wt-11 advanced into the New Century. 
The (iospel of I\'ace is slowly federating the nation.s 
into a world-wide Hrotherhood. Conservative churche.s 
are appreciating as never before, the oneness of aim 
and spirit that characterizes all Christian Churches. 
However loyal Christians may be to the creeds of the 
fathers, they are recognizing that even dognui, if it 
remains vital, must grow, and we are liberal t-noiigh 
-all of us, it may be hoped to love righteousness 
wher«'ver it is exhibited and striven for and prayed for. 
The Truth, when it is fairly understoo<l, is one and the 
same for all. And to<lay, as never before, the true- 



Ii7 



needham's bicentennial celebration 



hearted everywhere are striving to maintain 'the unity 
of the spirit in the bond of peace.' 

And may the peace of God, that passeth all under- 
standing, fill our hearts and minds in the spirit of our 
common Master." 



58] 




iii{>r HM'i 1-1 < III Kt II. \i.i:i»ii \\i 



orn niT-RrnER — first nAPTisT F.XKRnaE.s 

FIRST BAPTIST CIirRC'II 

CortuT of (Jri'ut Plain and lii^'hlaiul Avenues 
OrKnni7.<Hl IHTA) 

PAST()i{ . . ui:n. ( hai{i.ks k. sawtklm: 

Services SepteinlKT 17, 11)11 

10.45 a m. ORGAN PRELIDE— "H..ly. holy. Iioly I I>.r.l 
Ciotl Aliuiglily " 

INV()( ATION 

UKSPONSIVE READINT. 

(;U)RIA. (All sLiin.lin^) 

ANTUKM. Mail- (iiiartclU-, " The Eartli ii tii.- I>)nln' Grrriah 

SGRIITI UK LESSON — UiiiUronoiny. Chapters 

HYMN 8 

I'UAVKIl 

RESl*ONSE, Male Quartette, " Father in thy mysterious 

pn-JM-ntf kneeliiit; " Gerrish 

OFFERINCi, with verse of dedication .muik by all standinK 

SOLO, Mivs Florence H. CambridKe. " Hold Thoii niy hand " Hri^-gs 

SERMON \\\ rili: i'AS'l'OK — Text in Aet.s21:;W, " A citi- 
Zen of no mean city " 

AN THEM, Male (iwartette, " I will lift up mine eyes " Gcrriih 

HENEDKTION 

ORGAN POSTLIDE 

12.00 m. n(»\VI.\Nl> (LASS FOR MEN 

I'UOF. (.K()I{(.K H. IIAVKN, Teacher 
12.10 ». ui. HIIJLK ( LASS. Rally Day. Spcxial exeivwes 



(w 



NEEDIIAM'S BICKNTKNNIAL 

AT FIRST nAI»TIST CliriU II, NEEDHAM, MARS. 

Tlu* first (lay of tlic Nt'cdliam Bicenteiuiial was 
crlrl)rat('(l at the Haptist Cliurcli hy an interesting 
sermon hy the pastor upon the si^iificance of 400 years 
in the ape of a town. Text: Acts 21-39. *'A Citizen of 
no Mean City." The address was Hstened to hy a 
larpe audience and the occasion was one of great en- 
thusiasm and interest. 

The Howhmd class contril)uted its portion to the 
celehration of the anniversary hy special exercises held 
in a large tent erecte(l upon the church lawn. The 
regular session of the class took i)lace at Fioon, at which 
there were .some 75 members |)resent. 

In the afternoon at "2.45 the Rev. James A. Francis 
n. 1)., of the Clarendon St. Ba[)tist Church conducted 
a service es})ecially for men, his subject being "The 
Bible in Our National Life." The s[)eaker gave a 
forceful and masterly address with regard to the power 
of the scriptures in directing the life of the nation 
through the iiidi\idual. "The nation is made U[) of 
units, and each man stantls for an integral part of the 
whole. National life can rise no higher than individual 
life, and the national life ran only be purified by the 
consecration of the indiviflual life. The [>owit of the 
Bible makes it possibh* for a man to break with the 
weakne^^ of the past and go forward into the strength 



l«l 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



of the future. The Bible stands for the framework 
and foundation upon which personal as well as national 
life can only be built." 

Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Hemenway had charge of 
the music and the congregational singing was a very 
delightful feature of these gatherings. 

Upon the two following days of the celebration 
the Rowland class kept open house in the tent, dis- 
pensing hospitality in the shape of light refreshments 
and comfortable chairs, to many guests, many of 
whom came from remote parts of the United States. 
A corps of members of the class was always in attend- 
ance, and many pleasant informal reunions with former 
residents of the town were held in the tent. The exer- 
cises held in this unusual way formed a fitting contrast 
to the more dignified services in the church. 



62] 



A 







l,\ \\<.i 1.1" \i. ( ( t\i .KM . \ I i< i\ \i I III i;< II 



Orn < III H( IIKH — EVANGEMCAL f ONOnEOATIONAL KXFnriSKH 



EVANGELICAL CONCHEC.ATIONAL CHURCH 

Coriirr of (irrat IMiiiii Aviiim- iin<l I.imlrn Slrt-oLs 

OrK'aniz.d Mny f). IX'i? 

I'\>l()lt . . UK\. JOHN I). WAIDHnN 

Service Septt'iiilxT 17, ll'll 

OHCW rHKI.l DK MM.MnMi. 211(1 S.natn (. M.rk.l 

WII,I,I.\M HAMILTON, Orpnnist 

dox()Uh;v 

IN\0( ATION -'•Kt«rnnl Onr, Otir GckI who wa-st witli mir fnllicM. \yc 
willi lis t<M|ay, we hixtth Thif. Hrvial Tliywif unto 
us nn<l !><• ^'racioii.s unto us. And wln-n wr rrsl from 
our InlMipt. nmy tlu* work of our Imnds Ik* «'?<tnMi-ilH'<l 
on earth, and wr r(Mfive<l into thr rtrmal hoUM- of 
many man*tion.s throuf^li Jesus C'hrUt our I><>r<I 

Amen " 

U)IU)S I'HAVKU 

HKSrONSIVK HKADINC— Psalm U7 

M'o^lI.KS- CHKKL) 
(iLOIlIA 

OLD TKSTAMKNT D.utrn.nomy 2S:1-1J 
ANTHEM. HY FULL CHOIR 

JAMKS A|)\Nt>. Uft.Ur 
NKU rKSIAMr.NT Ilrhn-ws 11:1 an-i 12 :2 

ruAVi;!{ 

HKV. J. n. SKAIU UV 

OFFEIITOUY— Or^an, Adapio. 2nd SonaU 

IHMN — No. 573, "While, with Oajielciw ('<iur?*e. thr Sun" 

SKHMON — Text. I^niah .W: 1. "What havethry Mti\ in thy ImuM- ? " 

lycvsont of the Old Ne^^lham (iarrct 

HYMN— No. 57t'), " I/oni while for nil mankind wr pray" 

^('^iI.^DE — Orjfan, Intrtxliu tii>n and Fup-. 2nd N>nal« 



m 



LESSONS (U' nil; old m;i;i)1ia.m (jAUUKT 

Ki.\. John 1). Waldhon 
Text, Naiali ii!* : I " \N lial have they srvn in thy house?" 
** Juihjcil by the lliiuijs in the Ifou.se 

All that was in Ilrzckiah's house the nicsscii^'crs 
of Mcrodach Haladiii, Kin^' of Haltvloii, had xni. 
From what they saw they JikI^^m! Judah. 

\\«' who would know of the past of New Knpland 
two lnnidr('(| yt-ars a^'o, will road it hcst from the Ixxik 
of thin^^s in the houses of Needhani in 1711. Those 
things still remain. I)ul ha\«' risen to tlie fjarrets, or are 
in lustorieal luuseums which are in character the same 
as ^'arri'ts. Hut we will reacl them Ity the dim li^dit 
which comcx lilt«rinj,' thro <liamond pane<l j^'arrtt win- 
dows. uj)on the relics time has ^'athered there. 

It may he \ou do not know the old Needham 
fiarret. I'lu-n I nnist open it to you. I'lider ^reat 
rafters hrowii with ai:c. low l.\ in^', are lon^' forest aisles 
of <larkncss. Now and then .1 cross ^al>le li;;hts the 
way. I n<ler f(»ot are j,'r«al wide l)oanls, split from 
hu^'e io^s, smoothed with ad/e ami plane. .\nd to [\u-> 
dark, dry sturehouse come worn axes, clinusy sho\«'ls, 
l>la<ksmith formed hammers, the first tools of the 
wilderness. With these they opened thi' forest, tilled 
and shaped the earth, and huilt their aliodcs. Here 
arc the candlestick, the old hread-lrou^'h, the spinning 



(«5 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



wheel, cradle and Bible. These are the tools which 
brought culture to the wilderness, home to the family, 
comfort and beauty to the body, increase to the people, 
and eternal life in God to many. 

To this room on rainy days the children ascended, 
and while the drops pattered on the roof, and the wind 
rasped with the branches of the old trees across the 
shingles, Madeline and Dorothy dressed in the quaint 
garments of Deborah and Priscilla and laughingly 
courtesied while John shouldered the flintlock musket 
of Jonathan and marched to Lexington. Here they 
felt the Red Tide of 1775, tears fell from childish eyes, 
youthful hearts again thrilled at the Life of Long Ago. 

'There are broken rings, and pieces of things, and the 
garments she used to wear.' 

Needham has been too near movement and new 
things to keep her ancient mansions unchanged, and 
her relics intact, and we must look in Fort Shirley's 
collection, the Old State House at Boston, and the 
treasures of Old Deerfield, once Pocumtuc (and as the 
child of Dedham, your sister town, for Natick was 
given to the Indians in exchange for it) and in fine old 
homesteads in New England's quiet spots. From 
these we recreate the Old Needham Garret. Now 
climb the steep stairs. Beware of the low ceiling! 
Lean forward for balance. Now, keeping to the mid- 
dle, we move dov^Ti between the survivors of life's 
storm. Here are tools once wielded with energy by 
hands that now rest. Here, I say again, are a man's 
tools, the axe for battle, the shovel, instrument of civ- 
ilization, the hammer for building, the tools of 1711 
and their lessons. 

Man's Tools— The Axe 

When the first settlers came hither, they en- 
tered the woods with axes in their hands. Crude were 



66] 



r)t'Tl riltrRrnKfl — EVANfJEMfAI, rf)N-f;niv;ATinvAT. K\'Kt{rmF.H 



tln'V in shape hut tnic in tcinpor, niul they made oi)cn- 
iii^rs ill tin- oak (loiiiaiii. Tiny Iai<l forest luoiianhs 
low. 'I'liry >i)lil I Item for i)MM(lieoii floors, for doors 
ami sliuner>. and henehes such as Lineoln's boyhood 
knew a hundred years later. As they laid low and 
hewed the shiMiorn wood, fhey Ihoujrht of (Jideon and 
the ^'n)ve by the altar of Haai he hewed down. And 
in spirit they laid I'pas trees in the (hist for 'even now 
was the axe laid at the root of th<' tree.' the tree of 
niisi;overninent and usurpation of |)()wer l>y unworthy 
hereditary rulers. 'I'hose who wen' denying' in prac- 
tice the riirhts of num. * the certain unalienable rights.' 
*ri,i:hl to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,' and 
to us their children they biMiuealh the Battle Axe, 
.saying: — 

* Strike! for the (Ireeii (i raves of your Sires, 
(Jod and your native land!' 

The Shovel 

Hi^'ht beside the axe lies a plebeian heavy shovel, 
fellow brother of the stick which tirst scratched the 
earth to cover a .seed, or make a plant ^tow, or drew 
soil to partly op«-n or close a cave's mouth for entrance 
or defence. Cousin of the branch that became a plow 
tlrawn by wonian or oxen, the t^nup. plow and railroad 
.shovel which they never knew. The shovel was a 
permanent settler's tool and said *I abide.* It f)lanted 
the first fruit trees on these plains in the wilderness, 
and siKiiiiied aj^riculture at its bcirinniuK'- It diiTU'ed a 
channel at the falls for falling water to turn ^rist mills 
and weave, be^Munin;: manufacture and the harmvssin^ 
of nature. I'srd in road making', it speaks of travel 
and the brotherlutod of man. also of trade ami (om- 
merce. 'I'hro it the steel hi^diway should run from 
short* to shore, swamps be drained, silver snow uater 



(67 



NEBDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



directed from snowy Sierra and Rocky peaks into sun 
kissed California and sun blistered deserts, till the 
desert blossoms as the rose. By it the oceans are 
joined in our day at Panama, and by its aid on land 
and sea is rising a highway, over which some set of 
sun the Heavenly King comes riding when toil is done. 
So they 

'Worked in the morning hours.' 

The Hammer 

The village vulcan shaped that on his anvil. It 
wrought the nails for old Deerfield's Indian door and 
drove them to their places, then, in the spirit of that 
age, clinched them there. After building the doors 
and shutters against wolf and wolfish Indian, it shaped 
the door sill and the wide hearth stone where backlogs 
might roar and crackle and heaps of red embers glow, 
where the crane swings above, bearing the boiling 
dinner in a great iron pot. At evening time chestnuts 
popped, apples roasted and sweet cider simmered, while 
youthful poets dreamed the melodies of Snowbound 
to the sound of west wind and drifting snows, and hiss- 
ing flakes tumbling down the mightj^ throat. The 
place for this joy, the axe and shovel and hammer had 
built in the forest. There were but four houses in 
Needham worth $100 apiece, yet to the brides they 
were as cosy as the nests to the birds, or the hollow 
trees to the red squirrel. As before and since some 
tried to rear without God's plan and left unfinished 
Babels in the wood. Others reared temples that were 
filled with glad glory and He abode with them. Some 
drove their stern Puritan lives ' like nails fastened by 
the masters of assemblies in a sure place,' while there 
were unknown Arnolds and Burrs who smote with the 
hammer of wicked living the cruel nails in the hands of 



68] 



)ii{ ( nrii( nrs— F.VANT.EurAL roNOREOATioxAi. KxrnciHBg 



lliiii who woiiM liavc savrd tli.-m; t lioiif,'litlr.s>ly living' 
imiliiiK' Him who (li«'tl for tht-in His cliihln-ii. Yrt Iht-rt* 
w«Tf iiiaiiy who mi^^'ht have siiii^' as they swun^' tlie 
liainiiu'r with .shcl so triio: 

*\Vf iir«' hiiiMiii^' every day 

A t«-iiii)lf the world may not know.' 



Do you not si-e I his h-ssoii of I lie Ohl Nei-dhani 
(larret? That the forms chaiiK^'. the ^'reat facts remain 
the same. Tln-re were men who were l)rave and 
women who were fair, and the part the women who 
were fair performed is not forgotten in the OhI (iarret. 
There are ancient bonnets who.se encircHng rufHes 
formed tlie frames for kisses. Tliere were garments 
tliat once covered >i)irits as wilHng and hearts as loving 
jis time ever saw, and they spi-ak ten<h-rly to us today 
out of tlie Old Needham CJarrct. Here are woman's 
t(K)ls, the candlestick, hread trougii, spinning wheel, 
cradle aiul Bihle. 

Woman s TooLs — The Candlestick 

By sunset birds must find their sheltering hough 
and rest. But by dipped camlle and Betty lamp of 
1711 life became capable of more complete control. 
It prolonged day and by its gleam the sacred book was 
read, the few poets on the shelf tasted and the learned 
books mastered. For the Fathers did not choo.^e the 
superlicial or pretty in literature. The candle gleamed 
for the family reailer who told out the tale to the knit- 
ting of stockings, the mending of shoes, harness or 
farm t»Mjls, or the .slicing of apples to dry for winter. 
It lightetl the be<lside at birth and death; lis the life 
of the mother lighted tin- dark hours with .stmg and 
prayer and love, and went gleaming out alt)ng the roads 
whither her children jounuyid. So that far away the 



iw 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



light — mother, home and heaven shone with the radi- 
ance of the New Jerusalem. "So shines a little candle 
in the night." 

The Bread Trough 

was often filled with "Ingin Meal", sometimes buck- 
wheat, often rye for ash cakes, griddle cakes or bread, 
to be eaten with maple syrup or fat pork. The bread 
whether baked in old Dutch ovens or otherwise, was 
the center of the feast. It spoke of the harvest of sow- 
ing and reaping, of death for life, of many grains for 
one loaf, of dying to serve. It made the family meal 
a Lord's Supper; was sweet as manna from heaven to 
children and all. It symbolized family life and fel- 
lowship. It was leaven. It came from the oven that 
tries. It was of God who saves. They would sing: — 

'Back of the loaf is the snowy flour. 

And back of the flour the mill, 
And back of the mill the rain and the air 

And God the Father's will.' 

The Spinning Wheel, Baby's Cradle and the Bible 

We must not become entangled in the woolen yarn 
of the first, nor be caught in the tide that set toward 
the cradle and the Bible. This day will not permit 
save to say that furs were good for the hunter in the 
woods, but the baby in the cradle must be dressed in 
garments softer, that could be dyed in the blood of 
berries and stained with woodland roots, to each fond 
mother's fancy, and then taught the words of the 
Bible, that her sons might go out (not stay as we are 
in the Old Needham Garret) to the larger community 
life upon whose significance we now enter. Out to 
Lexington, Concord, Bunker Hill, Saratoga, to York- 
town they went. Out of the individual, the family, to 



701 



OUR rnrnrnF.B — EVANOEi.ifAL rns(,Rr.c,\rit>s\j. Kxiitrmrs 



thcconimunity. Kacli iiuiii wirldrd t lie .-ixc of .smiting', 
the shovel of hihor, the hammer (»f hiiildiii^'. Much 
woinaii h^'htcd a candle, filled the hread troii^di with 
fellowship, and turned the spiniiiii;,' wheel, rocked the 
cradle, ami hi-lieved the IJihIe. And men and women 
to^i'lluT huill the town, the .scluuil, and tin- chnrch as 
coininimity tools. 

Thr Town 

At once we see men were the same. Some would 
nef^lect town meeting,' in those days. Dedham imj)os«'«l 
a fine of one shillin;,' on those one half hour late, and 
three .shillings for tho>e absent from the meeting. But 
by this fine they showed their faith that every man 
might he brought there. The first meeting of Need- 
ham was December the 4th, 1711, when they chose a 
place to bury the dead. Three weeks later they voted 
to build a house of public worship. They apportioned 
lands e(pially if they followed Dedham's example which 
was cfjual lots of 1^2 acres for the home field and 4 of 
swamp for married men, and S of home and :l of xwamp 
for unmarried men, which shows a desire to keej) 
e(iuality. No water rights were to be ai)propriated 
by any man. Would that this wisdom had been per- 
sistecl in. Ladders weri' to stand by ev<'r\- house. No 
reckh'ss men in lire laws. They found the (irace of 
(io<l in their hearts, and a definite plan accepted, nec- 
essary for peace and prosperity. And at town meet- 
ing they fought jealously for every right and further<-d 
th<' day of 'government »)f the people.' In Dedham 
they tliink they planted the roots uf the government 
which came. There they examined the accounts of 
selectmen. d<'cided where to build bridges, where erect 
public buildings, when protest t.ixes, petition or d«fv 
governors. lOvery man hatl one vole, no man had 



[71 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



two and attempts at pressure watched. In these de- 
bates continental orators were trained, minute men 
organized, taxes levied, troops raised, traitors de- 
nounced and preparation for freedom made. All this 
was well done because the first public building in many 
communities was the school house. 

The School House 

The first school house built in Needham was three 
stories high, the top being a watch tower up beside the 
great chimney. Here the dominie of the day taught 
the youth with a birch rod as Gideon taught the men 
of Succoth with briars and thorns. Into this school 
house they gathered without respect to color, race or 
social standing and almost to age. Mind and genius 
were crowned as in Lincoln's and Garfield's day. They 
had a tower on their school no doubt to detect fire or 
signals of danger, Indian or other. The days with us 
demand the watch tower on the school, lest in our 
foolish optimism we be beaten educationally by others 
ere we are aware; lest materialism take the place of 
character as an end, or pleasure that of profit; lest 
History's lesson that 'sin is a disgrace to any people' 
be missed; lest foes of the public school demand the 
withdrawal of religion from the schools and then de- 
mand relief from its support because of its non-religious 
character. Parents, citizens, Needhamites, ought the 
watch tower to come down from the school house or 
be builded higher and have a sentinel day and night.'* 
Can children get a better training mentally in private 
schools, then parents will send them there. Can chil- 
dren be strengthened in all good ways in religious 
schools, then will sacrifices be made that daughters 
may be protected in chastity and their sons not forget 
the God of their fathers. Are we doing as much for 



72] 



OITR rilirRrilEH BVANOKUr'AI, rf»V(JRK<; \ TinSM, KKKHf-mKH 



oiir cliildrcii as lliosr ucecly people did for theirs? I 
doul)t il. Are wi' tcaeliiii^ as luiieli respect fi>r law 
und the eoiiiiuunity? Would not the old lo^ school 
and its master with his collection of >^<>od tou^'h rcwls 
he a ^'ood thiii^^' for tiie majority of school children? 
Then hail! thrice hail to the school hiiill in tin; fcjrest 
with watch tower, ^reat aid to the town house on the 
cuninion and the church heside it. 

Tlie Church 

As you have seen, the town had to do with men's 
bodies —rojuls, laws, taxes, military service. The 
schools had for their purpose the teachint^ of reading,', 
writing and arithmetic, to train and inform the mind 
with morality as an object also. IJut the ciiurch was 
supreme with them, even if they neglected it, even if 
tiiey rejected it, even if they hated it, supremt?. For 
it ha<l a IJook that was divine. It receive<l its author- 
ity from (io<l, and th<' pn-acliers were the inti'rpreters. 
To obi'y this book the better i)art had crossed the 
wintry Atlantic. Plymouth, Salem, Boston, by their 
j?rave.s kej)t fresh the cost of the church. So tis far as 
their united means |)ermitted. they reared the meetinj^ 
lu)use, stroni,', substantial and stately. On the coast 
like beacons ; on the hills they lifted their steeples a 
higher hand toward heaven. In their pulpits stood 
men of authority, to whom the learned listen»'d gladly, 
the Indian and slave reverently, the common pe«)|)le 
humbly, aiul the boys inditrerenlly. We stand in the 
fjallery and the tythinj^ man rises to discipline tho.se 
youn>,rsters and lol a few years fly, and standim; under 
the star.s I see that stern old pri'acher j)rayin^' for 
hastily ^athere<l troops, who in their lu-arts answer 
*.\njen' to the plea. 'Kndue them with coura;;e to put 
to lli^ht the armies of the alien.' I see their faces as 
tluy march away tti l/cxingtun and Concord, the frolic- 



173 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



some boys of a few years back, their fathers and grand- 
fathers. One hundred and eighty-five, and five of them 
fell; more for the number than from any other town 
save Lexington. They come back, some marching, 
some on catafalque, back to the village church. Into 
the pulpit climbs the old parson. The throng turn 
their eager faces toward the dead, then toward the stern 
face shining above. Slowly at first come the words 
but faster soon and trumpet toned, ' Men and Brethren : 
These our brethren came with axes into the forest and 
cleared away its barriers. They tilled the soil and 
planted it with fruit. Houses now in many a spot they 
builded. Right earnestly they wrought, while by their 
sides were the fair women who weep today. These 
lighted the candle for the evening meal whose loaf 
their hands had made, turned the wheel spinning as 
the wise women garments for their children against 
the cold, rocked the coming generation in the cradle, 
and ere they retired to well earned rest in humble beds 
in room or loft, read this Bible to all. Then com- 
mending themselves to Almighty Love lay down to 
sleep. Their farms were fruitful. Abundance of hay 
and grain filled their barns. Potatoes and apples 
crowded the cellars, nuts, the fruit of the forest, were 
stored in lofts; the fat swine, well smoked, hanged in 
the chimney or along the beams with apples dried, and 
onions and squashes filled the shelves. Cattle in- 
creased and sheep in the yards. They were happy 
and prosperous. 'T is true they made many mistakes. 
Men toiled terribly for worldly gain and forgot God 
awhile. Girls and women were over fond of adorn- 
ments, forgetting the grace of Godliness and love. 
But they spake a goodly tongue; ever to call a man 
'Loyal, Brave, Good and True' was highest praise. 
' Love, Faith, Hope ' were the spirits of their women 
and maidens, and on their tombs in consecrated spots 



74] 



n.U ( in U( IIF.S- EVANfJF.I.irAI- ( ONfiRKfiATIONAT. F.XKIKISKS 



throu^'l.out thr ui.(l;iim.-.i I.iimI an- carvni tlir drar 
words, *\Vif.-. Cliild, lli'Jivrn, ll.)iur, Bi-yoiid. 1 u- 
m-tluT in I Ik- iiM>rniiiK'.' The seasons will <ir<N' 
roun.l TlianksKivinU to Kastor Day, Inil ll..-y wli.. lu- 
lH'f«)ri' w>, haviiii,' ^nv.-ii tlu- last nirasurf of dcvolK.n 
to liborly, will <omr no iiioiv. I.i«ld, oli y<>" ln-n-avrd 
ones, vo'ur tonli al tlu- altar of tlu-ir sacrificr! May 
llu' (Tod of I>ra(l coinforl yoii who are widows, and 
lu' a falluT to llu- fallurlrss, wi|)iiik' away all li-ars, and 
kci'i> von till you imvl a.^aiii! And when ll.c y«ars 
havo rolled awav, inav your desccndanls looking' l):i<k, 
find amid the ri-lies of this glud, sad day, such IhinKs 
as they may hriiii,' down from hiding plaees in our 
homes' and put tluMii as^ain hy the family lahle, by the 
bedside in praver and in the lar^jer life of tlie eom- 
munitv whieh t see ^'randly risini: up in that (lay. ho 
shall these not have lived ami died in vain.' 



p5 




Wi' M -< 




\11 I Il(i|)l-I I I'i-t (ti'M ( III |;( 




< illtl'^l < III l{< II K|>ls...|Ml 

\| I KM Wl III K.ll l>< 



MKTIIODIS'I' i:i'lS(()l'AL ( III !(( II 
couNLH ur mciiiLAM) a\i:m i: and ihnnlw lll sthklt 

OKGAMZKD A PHI I., 18H7 
"Render t litrtforr fo all tlicir dues."— R<.in. lii: 7. 

( The folloviruj arc the notes on tlie .srnnon j/rrnrlird In the 
McthodiM Kpxsrnpal Churrh of Xrcdlunn Uriylit.s on Sunday 
ntorninij, Sept. 17, 1911 , fn/ Her. F.dunrd Mnr.sh, PaMor) 

" Wc lijive conic to ccIchrMtc the Two Hiindre<llli 
Ainii\(Tsary of the foimdiii^' of Needh.'iiii. M;m>' ;ire 
tliinkin^ of llie wotiderfid iiiiproveineiits that have 
been made (hiring that tinu*. ^'ou may speak of th«- 
wilderness and only a very few houses, and of the many 
inconveniences, hut now look at wliat we are : our 
churches, library huihliuir. town hall, shops, stores, mills, 
parks, Ix'autiful streets. Iustea<l of wallowiui; in the 
mud we have ^'ood roads. We lau^di at the"()lil One 
Horse Shay," for now we have the powerful automobile. 

And so we ^o on calling,' attention to llu* u'reat 
impr<»\('ments that w<- have made over our forifalhers, 
but let us ask * How were these improvements possibh?' 
We an* not to tell so nnich of what we have d(»ne, as 
what our forefathers mad«' it possibh' for us to <1«) ; and 
they made it possible by not oidy what they wn»uj;ht 
with their hands but by the sacrifices they math' the 
life w hich the\ li\ cd. 



177 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



Our celebration will be most incomplete unless 
we take into consideration the men and women who 
first came to New England. Who were these men 
and women who sought a home in these Western wilds? 
Because we dress in the latest fashion we need not be 
ashamed of them. If history will only count us worthy 
sons and daughters of those who faced for us the forest 
and the frost, the Indian and the wolf, the gaunt famine 
and the desolating plague! Oh they were plain people, 
hard working, Bible reading, much in earnest, with a 
deep sense of God in them and a thorough detestation 
of the devil and his works. 

We can not know, we cannot understand Amer- 
ican history without first becoming familiar with the 
Puritan spirit. In some ways there has been a grow- 
ing opposition to this spirit, and it has been because 
of Vaticanism on the one hand or agnosticism on the 
other. 

Let me strongly recommend a thorough study of 
the whole subject — know the truth of the matter. Yes, 
if you please, be able to distinguish between the Pil- 
grim and the Puritan. Some time go to Delft Haven 
and go into that little church where the Pilgrim fathers 
had their last meeting before sailing for this country. 

But underneath it all find out the Puritan spirit. 
Who were the Puritans? Taking the word in its broad 
sense, the institutions of America are largely Puritan. 
The Puritans were greatly influenced by the Nether- 
lands, and we might say that for hundreds of years the 
Netlierlands stood as the guide and the instructor of 
England in almost everything which made her materi- 
ally great. Hallam says that Holland at the end of 
the sixteenth century and for many years afterwards 
was pre-eminently the literary country of Europe. In 
Holland the men who sustained painters and musicians, 
who fostered science and broad learning, were the plain 



781 



OtH cm UrilF-S — METHOniRT FPIWOPAI, FXKRriRKfl 



bur^jlirrs in tin- citij-s mcrcliimt.s and riianufacturiTs, 
im-n wlioin (^ihtm Kli/alictli callril ' hasr nuM-liaiiicals ' 
— wlio all Worked llirnisrlvt-s, and l»y «'xanipK' or l>y 
prtM-j'pl tau),'lit that lal»(»r is lioiioraldc 

In 1(117 a yoiMi^' Knticli soldier serving' in llie 
Dutch army was |)assiii^' throu;;h the streets of IJreda. 
A crowd was pitluTcd on a coriicr, all intent, studying? 
a paper pasted on the wall. The yonn^ French sohlicr 
a>kcd a bystander to translate for him the contents 
of that poster, and what do you think it <-ontained? 
Why it was a proMem in mathematics. TIm' .soldier 
took that proMem to his rooms and in a fi'W days sent 
in the answ<T, sitrned I)es<art<'s. That was the intro- 
duction to till' world of Hene Descartes - j^reat French 
philosopher. Hut think of that crowd interoted over 
a mathematical j)rol>lem. 

What the country needs is a larger measure of the 
Furitan spirit in en<T^etic d<'velopment and in wide 
distrihulion. Fundamentally, the effect of the past 
one hundred years has heen to plant churches, schools, 
colleges. All the early .settlers of New Fn^dand |>ai(l 
;;reat attention to the instructing' of their children. 
Hy l(l()5 every town in Massachusetts had a common 
school, and when the Furitan spirit declined there was 
u falling off in the scliools and an increase of illiteracy. 

Do you not sa.\ then that there is soniethintr in 
this Furitan spirit that is worthy of honor.^ 'I'he ele- 
ments tliat made up the Furitan spirit are es.s«*ntially 
moral and earnestly practical, not theoretical. Dr. 
R. L. Storrs in a carefid and criti<al pap«T de<lare«i 
that there were four elements in the spirit «»f the 
Furitan. 'The first thin^' that w«' mi;.'ht name in this 
spirit iiTv inten.se conviction of ap|)nhcmled trtith, a 
desire to maintain and ext«*nd it and to l>rin^' others 
to aflirm it. Moral or reli^jious propositions rather 
than those which are political or philosophical. 



170 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



Second, an intense sense of the authority of right- 
eousness. 

Third, a profound assurance of God's righteous 
rule. 

At last the Puritan looks for the absolute over- 
throw of all sin and the dominion of righteousness. 
He believed that God held the individual to strict 
account. 

Fourth. There is a profound sense of the dignity 
of man.' 

To be sure, as we hold up the Puritan we must 
admit that he had failings, and no one knew this better 
than himself. There was first the lack of interest in 
easthetics. Everything must be of the plainest kind. 
The Puritan was largely iconoclastic. He was like 
John the Baptist. Not much of a chance for pleasure 
in his life. 

Second, to us there seems to be a lack of affec- 
tionate sympathy. As one told me she never re- 
membered of having seen her mother kiss one of her 
children. Mrs. Sarah Knight tells that her father, Capt. 
Kemble of Boston, returning from a sea voyage of three 
years, was put in public stocks for two full hours for 
the crime of having kissed his wife when she met him 
at the door. Take up a volume of the sermons of a 
Puritan preacher, and you find none of the subjects 
of the so-called popular preaching of today. 

But in spite of all that you can say against the 
Puritan, we must admit that he was sincere. That 
there was no sham in him. He was a man of great 
carriage. He felt that one with God was a majority. 
The uproar of the multitude did not disturb him. He 
was the same true man in the midst of enemies. Church 
hierarchies, dignitaries, state authorities did not fcaze 
him in the least. There was his individual responsi- 
bility to God. 'First pure, then peaceable' was his 



80] 



OT'R rnr-HcuFs — MKrimoisT yviHcnvKL y.\y.u< mrn 



favorite mnxim. If he cared little for the thinjfs of 
this world. Ill-, iiiiiul dwelt o: ' He read 

iiMK h and pondered lon^ o\ \ ;)'<e. The 

Puritan wife triecj to he as thi- i(i»al niol}i<T of the Old 
Testament. To her the Chapter of all wa>» the 81st 
of Pn)Verl)s. 

In these days an* we to l(»ok with <li>rr>pe(f on 
the real spirit of tiie I*iiritan? \\(m' hi- to us if w<- fail 
to renicniln'r the Puritan with honor. If we iia<l not 
this spirit as a founihifion, as a nation we would he in 
ruins. 

Ix't us thank (iod for tlie Puritan." 



(81 




ST li '-I I'll ' III 'I' " '!■ " 



ST. josKrii's ( ill i{( 11 

(ROMAN catholic) 

Corner «»f Hi^hlaiul Avtiiiic and May Strct't. First scr- 
num on ("liri.stmas day, Is'.'O. Conior-slonc of proscnt 
house laid S«'i)trml)er 20. 1S'.)1. Dedicated, Metnoriul Day, 
May :iO, IS'.M. i'astor, Rev. T.J. Danahy. Assistant pas- 
tor. Rev. I). Donovan. 

riiis clnirel), on that cch'hratcd occa.sion, ha<l its 
fine altar and .saiKtnary heaiilifully derorated and an 
overflowing congregation of devout worshijjpers, who 
formally in special j)rayer thanked (iod for His mani- 
fold hlessings, temjxiral and s{)iritMal, civic and eccle- 
sia.stical, hi'stcnved upon the town, luind)ly beseeching 
Mini still more to l)K's.s it and pour down more ahund- 
antly upon it His gracious mercies for its conservation, 
its extension and factorage for good aitiidst the glories 
of this greatist of the nations of the earth. Solemn 
high nia.ss in all its fascinating beauty of ceremony and 
musical adjunct was celebrated, the Ke\'. Pastor, T. J. 
Danahy luing <elebrant, the Uev. Mdmund Daley, 
(hacon, and Uev. D. Donovan sub-deacon. Rev. Fr. 
J. A. ("rowley was n^a.^ter of ceremonies. 

A sermon germane to the oc-casion, was |)reache<i 
by tlie pastor; the Te Deum and RiHcssional bringing 
to a close thi.s most memorable fact in the hi>lory of 
the town. 



(83 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



At night, with the same decorations and the added 
beauty of electrical illumination, the solemn vespral 
services were sung and the Rev. Pastor again sallied 
forth into the historical archives of the country and of 
Europe to show forth the wonderful providence of God 
in opening up this country for the persecuted of Eu- 
rope and as an asylum for all anxious, by industrial, 
intelligent and rehgious conditions, to improve their 
own fortunes, while helping to develop the exhaustless 
and wonderfully variant treasures of this peerless Com- 
monwealth of these United States. 



84] 



CHRIST CHURCH 

(episcopal) 



Corner of IIij,'hlimd Avenue and Mellen Street. Or^.m- 
ized Aug. 11>. IS'.)'). First pastor. Rev. Frederick Pender. 
Present pastor, Rev. Newton Hluck. 



FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST 

Christian Science Hall, Fowler Block No. 2. Organized 
July 28. 11)02. with twenty-ftmr charter meinlR'rs at the 
home of one of its incinlKTs. First Reader, Henry A. T. 
Ddw. Sciond Render, Mrs. Ix'aiia L. Clancy. 

Lesson Sermon, Sunday, Sept. 17, 1911 
Subject : ** Matter " 

Golden Text: Luke G: 49. " But he that heareth, and 
dt)eth not. is like a man that without a foundation l)uilt an 
house ui>on tiie eartli ; against which the strenni did heat 
vehemently, and immediately it frll ; and the ruin of that 
house was great." 



[»5 



KXKllCISES IN TOWN ilAI.L 



BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE TOWN 
OF NEEDHAM, ALVSSACHUSETrS 

Sunday Evening, Septemdku 17, llUl 

III tlic town hall hcautiftilly decorated and upon 
the stage filled with prominent citizens, the Sunday 
evening program of the Needham Two Hundredth 
Anniversary celebration was rendered with marked 
interest and success. 

From seven to seven-thirty o'clock a sacred con- 
cert was given by the Needham Military Band, assisted 
by the Howland Class Male Quartette, and at seven- 
thirty the speaking exercises of the evening were 
begun by the presiding oflicer, W. G. Moseley, Esq., 
whose opening remarks were preceded by a prayer 
by the Rev. Charles E. Sawtelle, as follows: 

"Almighty God, it is fitting that we acknowledge 
Thee at the l>eginning of these happy services. Thou 
hast led us as a community; Thou hast richly blessed 
us in many ways; we do thank Thee for the town in 
which we live; we thank Thee for its history all these 
two hundred years; we thank Thee that the blessing 
of (fO«l has been upon us in so many ways; we thank 
Thee for the natural beauty of the place, for the good 
fellowship and neigliborliness of the citizens, for all 
that makes life rich and full here, and we thank Thee 



[89 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



especially for the increasing opportunities of ours for 
usefulness as citizens of this growing community. Will 
God grant that we may have His wisdom in the future 
to deal with the problems that from time to time arise. 

We thank Thee for the various interests of the 
town; for its business affairs; for its civic concerns; for 
its educational interests, and for the religious work 
of this community. We thank Thee for the work of 
the various churches, and while there may be differ- 
ences of administrations, we pray that there may be 
the same spirit of Christ brooding over all and in all, 
and may we acknowledge Thee the Father of all, and 
may we have Thy spirit in our hearts. 

We pray as we enter this anniversary season 
that we may not fix our attention on the benefits which 
we have had showered upon us, but conscious of thy 
fatherhood may seek each one in his place by living 
nobly; by fighting the good fight of faith; by having 
the spirit of Christ in our hearts, and his sympathy 
for our fellow-men. May we seek to advance the com- 
mon good, and may we see to it that we have all of us a 
citizenship in heaven above; and while we walk these 
earthly steps may we in every avenue enrich and fill 
it full and advance the common good, not only in re- 
ligious ways but also in our more secular pursuit. 

We ask, O Lord, Thy blessing on this meeting 
tonight. Bless every home represented. Bless every 
individual here. Bless those not able to meet with 
us; bless those who are sick, and may Thy abundant 
blessing rest on the speaker of the evening. We thank 
Thee for his work for the youth of the land. We 
thank Thee that he is interested in so many things 
pertaining to the welfare of mankind, and as he seeks 
to do Thy will in all ways may he have the freedom 
of Thy spirit and the confidence of Thy strength. 

We ask it all in the name of our Lord, Amen." 



90] 



f:xi;u( isEs in t()wn iiali. — tiik cuaikman 



Mr Mosoloy's remarks were as follows: 

"At I he oiK'iiin^' ()[ the t'xcrcisc.s coniu'ctcd witli 
tlic coli'liratioii of the two liun(lr<'<itli anniversary of 
tlic incorporation of the town of Xetdhani, I deem it 
hut proper as a representative of the town t(j extend 
to you a w«*l('onie. 

It is very ^ratifyin^' to the ((jnunittee to say tliat 
we have met with very eordial su|)port and co-opera- 
tii>ii in our etforts to make this eelehration a sueeess. 

We welcome to our town those wlui have associa- 
tions liere, and are bound to us hy ties of kindred or 
association, and have returned to the town to lielp us 
in this eelehration. We extend to you all a welcome 
to our town, to its hospitality, to its comfortai)le 
homes and to its pleasant streets, and to the well kej>t 
public building's and to the town as it is, we extend to 
you all a cordial welcome. And we ask that you will 
help us in the other days of the celebration to make 
these anniversary exercises fitting and proper and in 
keeping with our town. 

I think it is very proper that the town should 
observe anniversaries of this character; it is well for 
us to pause occasionalI\- and look back over the history 
of our country and if possible grasp that which is b»'fore 
us. It is but a very short time between the landing 
of the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth and the iiicor- 
j)oration of the town of Xeedham, a matter of ninet}' 
years and those ninety years were f<jr the preparation 
of tlu' settlement of the different t»)wns in the Com- 
wealth. As you know the Pilgrims sought this 
country for the purpose of freedom to worship (iod, 
and as an instrumentality for the extension of that idea 
they had the church »)rgani/.ati()n. The training of 
thos<' men, it has be<>n .said, brought forth nu'ii that 
have a.stonished the world with the boldness of their 



m 



needham's bicentennial celebration 



commercial enterprises; and the qualities recognized, 
cultivated and developed by the early settlers have 
been the determining factor in furnishing men fitted 
to leave the old Bay State and go to the West, and 
found the states of our western country that have 
become a power in the whole nation. 

Now, if the early settlers were trained along lines 
tending to fit men for the responsible positions of life, 
it seems to me that we can learn a lesson from them, 
and while today we hear so much said about the pro- 
gressiveness of the country, and that we should cut 
loose from the old laws and from the old customs, I 
think it would do us good to turn back and study the 
history of the State, to recall again that first settlers 
came here for the purpose to worship God, and so 
realizing, we should take a firmer hold upon the duties 
of good citizenship. 

I was somewhat interested the other day to find 
published in a magazine a short poem by James Russell 
Lowell, which seems to bear upon the popular idea of 
today. I will read it: 

'New times demand new measures and new men; 

The world advances and in time outgrows 

The laws that in our fathers' day were best; 

And, doubtless, after us some purer scheme 

Will be shaped out by wiser men than we, 

Made wiser by the steady growth of truth. 

The time is ripe, and rotten-ripe, for change; 

Then let it come; I have no dread of what 

Is called for by the instinct of mankind. 

Nor think I that God's world would fall apart 

Because we tear a parchment more or less; 

Truth is eternal, but her effluence. 

With endless change, is fitted to the hour; 

Her mirror is turned forward, to reflect 

The promise of the future, not the past.' 



92] 



rxmriMKH is town nAi.i- — tmf: ruAinMW 



The trouMc with the tinips, in my opinion, is not 
that they arc nt'W tinu's (Icniaiidin^ in'W rncasurt's and 
new men, hut that we have mistaken noise for new- 
ness. What we need, in my opinion, is that mrn .shall 
reahze their re.spon.sihiht irs of citi/eiisliip; lliat there 
shall be a reawakening of the public eon.scicnce; that 
men shall assume their proper place in the manage- 
ment and ^'overnment of the country. Laws may be 
simple, they may be perfect, but they will not work 
automatically; they need men to execute them; and as 
a result of this celebration if we can but get a firmer 
grasp upon our duties as men, if we may be awakened 
to our responsibilities as citizens, this observance will 
be worth all it has cost. 

In the early days there was erected on top of a 
hill in Boston a post with a projecting iron arm upon 
which was suspended an iron pot, in which a fire could 
made to serve as a beacon, anil from this t lie hill derives 
the name of Beacon Hill. It was understood that 
when a blaze was seen at this point, the men in the 
surrounding country should come to the centre to give 
relief to tho.se in danger. There is n(jw in the State 
House grounds, a granite shaft to take the i)lace (jf the 
one first erected, and upon the base are tablets bearing 
in.scriptions. I luive always been impre.s.sed with the 
inscription on the tablet on the west side, where we 
find this: 'Americans, while from this enu'nence scenes 
of luxuriant fertility, of nourishing commerce, and the 
abodes of .social happiness meet your view, forget not 
those who by their exertions have secured you these 
blessings.' As Needham today observes the two hun- 
dredth anniversary of its foundation let us not forget 
those who by their exertions have secured to us these 
blessings. I l)id you welcome." 

Needham's Bicenf«nnial hymn, composed by a 
citizen, Mr. Geo. K. Mitchell, wa^ sung by the quartet. 



IW 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



NEEDHAM ANNIVERSARY HYMN 

Psalm 100 
COMPOSED BY GEORGE E. MITCHELL 

Moderate 



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Make a joy - ful noise un - to the Lord, all ye land, 



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Serve the Lord with glad- ness : Come be -fore His 



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pres-ence with 

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sing - ing. Know ye that the Lord He 
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is God ; 



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it is He that hath made us, and not we our - selves. 



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94] 



KXFnciHJ S IN T«»\VS II\I,L nirKNTKSVr M, HYMN 




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\Vc oic His (>eo - pic, and the sheep of Hls pxs • turr 



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En - tcr in -to His gates with thanksgiv • ing, and in - to His 
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courts with praise :l>e thankful un - to Him and bless HLs name. 



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|05 



needham's bicentennial celebration 



Mr. Moseley. "The committee arranging for this 
meeting tonight had in mind that they desired a speaker 
to come here to address this meeting whom we could 
introduce with considerable confidence; as a speaker 
acceptable at an occasion like this. And in looking over 
the field, we found a man of national reputation, a 
man who is known to be one graceful in expression and 
forceful in utterance, who never says anything but 
what people are pleased to treasure and remember, 
and I therefore take pleasure tonight in introducing 
to you the speaker for this evening, — Dr. William H. 
P. Faunce, President of Brown University." 



96] 



ADDUKSS OF DR. WIIJ.IAM 11. P. KArXCK 

"Xt'vcr hcforc have I ]wvn in the town of NCcd- 
ham, and as I canie over on the train toni^'ht I said io 
myself: 'Shall I not appear as an outsider, shall I not 
be merely an intruder at a family festival?' 

Hut I cannot he wholly an intruder or outsider 
anywhere in Massaeiiusetts. In the city of Worcoter 
I was horn; five generations of my forefathers are 
buried on the old Burial Hill in the city of Plymouth; 
and whenever any eomnuinity in the old Bay Slate 
is celebrating' its achiexemeiils, and seeking to uplift 
and enlar^'e its life, there I find my.self profoundly 
interested. 

And for a few minutes this evening, I want to be 
as one of your family, sitting with you at the .same 
table and thinking with you the .same thoughts. I 
can see at a glance that you have here one of the finest 
town halls and one of the best nmsical organizations 
to be found in the Commonwealth, and I believe that 
you will throughout this festival achieve a new access 
of civic devotion, enthusiasm and unity, which will 
be felt for a long, long time to come. 

Woodrow Wilson, who is just now a prominent 
figure in our national life, when he was pri->idiiit of 
Princeton liiiversity took a journey to the mountains 
of TenneNsee, and one afternoon was seated by the 
side of an ohl stage driver for two or three hours. The 



[07 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



driver was somewhat awed at first by the presence of 
the college professor, but soon his assurance asserted 
itself and he ventured the remark, 'I suppose you'uns 
at college know some things that we'uns in Tennessee 
don't know.' Dr. Wilson admitted that might be true. 
Then after a few moments' thought, the old driver said: 
'I suppose that we'uns in the mountains know some 
things that you'uns at college don't know,' — and Dr. 
Wilson admitted that that might be true. The driver 
considered the matter for a time and then said: 'Well, 
how mixin' does learn folks!' 

Yes, I believe in that philosophy. You will find 
that the "mixing" in these days of men and women and 
children from various homes and various occupations 
from all political parties and religious creeds, — their 
mixing in splendid civic vision and devotion will accom- 
plish much for the future of Needham. 

I want to speak with you tonight about patriotism 
in time of peace, — what it is and what it means. 

What is patriotism .f* It is more than covering 
your buildings with bunting, it is more than waving 
flags in a procession, more than pyrotechnics brightening 
the darkness of the sky. When a man says, 'I love 
my country,' what does he love? He certainly does 
not love a spot on the map; he certainly does not love 
the stones in the street; he does not love trees by the 
roadside; he does not love the bricks and timbers in 
the houses. What does he love ? ' I love thy rocks 
ndd rills,' we say. But that is not patriotism; a man 
that loves rocks may be a geologist, but not necessarily 
a patriot. When a man loves his country he loves 
the ideals which the fathers cherished, and the insti- 
tutions in which those ideals are embodied. He loves 
the liberty, the law, the integrity, the loyalty of the 
fathers, the types of character that they exhibited, 
and the institutions through which that type of char- 



981 




w II r 1 \i \t i: I) 1) < II Mill- ii{A\< I- M)\\i- 




<,l,<iU<.l K • I MtKl 



M|{> J (. \ t \UIKH 



rXKIUISKS IN' TOWN MALI, — OH. FAfNf'F 



nrfcr lins l)r('n pcrpctnatcd. Tlic man wlio lovrs tliosc 
things lovt's liis conntry, or his city, or liis town. 

Patriotism involves tlin-*' thing's, — memory, co- 
o|)t'rat ion. and cdncafion; rnrniury of tin* past, co- 
operation in the [)n'scnt, and cdncation for tlir future. 

'I'lu'y sonirtinu's tell us tluit our cliiMrcn at scliool 
arc not liavin^' tlicir memories cultivated as much as 
in former days. It is not simply tlie individual mem- 
ory we need lo cultivate; it is our national memory as 
well. Repuhlics have heeii <liar^'ed with having' very 
short memories, hut all Anu-rica lias a short memory 
for .Vnu-rica has a very short history. 

I shall not forget the first time I visited the old 
W(»rld, in the year ISSl. I landed at Liverpool and 
was driving in a cal> to the hotel, when 1 saw the tall 
tower of a church looming up in the evening sky, and 
I asked what church that was and when it was huilt. 
My informant answered that it was 'Ahout four hun- 
dr»'d years old.' At once I thought: 'Where was 
America when that church was huilt?' Then 1 began 
to see that while American civilization is very broa<l. 
Kuropeau civilization is very deep; that American 
civilization covers nuich territory, while Kurop<'an 
civilization covers much time. There is hardly a hoy 
or girl horn in Kuroj)e who docs not grow up in the 
sight of some famous hattlefield; some monument of 
world wide fame; some old castle; some famous palace 
that speaks from the past; and there arc hundreds of 
thou.sands of Americans who never in their lives have 
.seen anything a hundre<l years old. To them his- 
torical pcrs|)ective is diflicult or im[)ossil)le. 

Hence the monument that the New Knglan<l town 
places in its public s(piare may be rjuite as useful as 
any bank or factory, and the tablet erected in nuirble 
or bronze, to commemorate the deeds of the past may 
speak <piite as loudly as the voices of [)ulpit or press. 



[99 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



The buildings that cultivate memory, that speak to 
imagination and loyalty, may be the most serviceable 
building a community contains. Hence, we should 
carefully mark the spots of local and historical signifi- 
cance in New England. In every place in these New 
England states where a great battle was fought; where 
a famous man lived; where a noble deed was done; 
where a great family had its hearthstone, some mark 
should be set up to tell it to the generations that follow. 
The men who do not revere their yesterdays deserve 
no tomorrow. 

This is especially necessary because of the streams 
of foreign blood that in these later years are pouring 
into our American life. I know of one New England 
city of 125,000 population that has 40,000 Italians; 
another New England city not far away in a population 
of 35,000 has 25,000 French or French Canadians. I 
sometimes think I find more of old New England in 
Minneapolis and Seattle than I find in Lowell or Fall 
River. 

But I am not afraid of these streams of immi- 
gration. I am much more afraid of the degeneracy 
of our American stock than I am of any danger that 
may come through the inflowing of the old world. Our 
chief problems are where American families go to sleep 
and not where alert and ambitious families come to 
us from across the sea. But these families who come 
to us from Europe must be made to know for what our 
country stands. They must be made acquainted with 
Washington and Adams and Jefferson and Lincoln and 
Charles Sumner and John Robinson and Miles Standish; 
they must know for what the Commonwealth of Mas- 
sachusetts has stood from the days of Roger Williams 
and Elder Brewster to the present time. They must 
know what ideals the fathers cherished as they built 
these towns and cities. If we men and women of the 



100] 



EXKIKIHEH IN TOWS MALL — I)U. KAt'N( K 



true American stock have the ri^ht spirit we will not 
wrap our ^Mriin'iits ain)iit us to j)rotect ours<lvrs from 
all foreign iiiva>i()n, hut we >liall ^'o to the forciKnt-r as 
he arrives and say, - 'Welcome not only to our .soil but 
to our heritage, to our memories, to our traditions and 
loyalties, to the responsihilities of our Anjerican citizen- 
sliij)!' Keep llu' m<-mories of Needham alive, if you 
would have the future of Needham a future in which 
everyone may he proud and happy. 

But patriotism in time of |)cace means another 
thinp, ami that is cooperation. 

We all know that America has been the home of a 
sujx'rl) individuali>m. Our forefathers had a strain 
of lighting blood in them. They loved their firesides, 
but they did not care to stay at home; they wantetl to 
go forth where there was a prairie to be conquered, 
viririn forests to be fellctl, oceans to be explored. They 
had bi'hind them when they came to this country no 
support from court or church; they had simply 'heart 
within and (lod o'erheatl.* 

The great founders of commonwealths in this 
country like Roger Williams and William Penn; the 
great explorers like Se Doto, Hudson, and Fremont; 
the great inventors like Fulton, Eli Whitney and Edi- 
son, were all men of sj)lendid self-reliance and per- 
sonal audacity; men who dared to face the whole world 
and stand alone and do their work, and the great work 
of America thus far has been done by the initiative 
and self-reliance of individuals. 

We have had individualism in industry. When 
there has been a great work to be done in agriculture, 
it is the individual that has gone out and bought the 
farm, planted it ami raised the crops. When there 
has Ix-en work to be done in manufacturing it is the 
indivitlual tliat ha> |)lamied his facti>ry, hired his men 
aud conducted hi:» buaiuess to .success or failure. Id 



(101 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



politics our fathers were so much afraid of centrah'zed 
authority that they delegated only certain specified 
powers to the general government. We have had more 
individualism in this country than in any other country 
the sun has shone upon. Every man has said to the 
government : 'Simply protect me, and give me a chance 
to show what I can do.' 

Now there is a change coming over the temper of 
our American life. It is not that the old ideal was 
false,— it was all true, — but that now is quite inade- 
quate. It is not that that old idea of self-reliance and 
individual initiative was a wrong idea, — it was perfectly 
right, — but it is a bridge that only goes half-way over 
the stream. The supreme question for America today 
is, — how to preserve that self-reliance of the fathers, 
that personal daring which marked their whole career, 
and yet to attain that corporate consciousness, that 
sense of social unity and solidarity, which alone can 
enable us to grapple with the problems of the twentieth 
century. 

A new sense of civic duty, a new sense of partner- 
ship with the state, is now coming into our American 
communities. A little time ago a great city in western 
Pennsylvania awoke to consciousness of its own re- 
missness and failure. It found that it was one of the 
most successful cities in the world in the making of 
steel, but was often failing utterly in the making of 
men. It did not put on sackcloth and ashes like ancient 
Ninevah. But it did something better; it appointed 
a commission; it summoned a traction expert to tell 
the people to relay their car tracks; it summoned an 
architect to tell them how to build modern tenements, a 
landscape gardener to cover the dingy hillsides with 
homes for working men; and that city is today under- 
going a process of social and moral regeneration. 

It is not only the great cities that need civic en- 



102] 



KXF.UrisKH I\ TOWN' HALL — Dlt. FAINCK 



thiisiasiii; it is our rural tuuiis as \v<-II, for in I lie rural 
rr^'iinis life oflcn sta^iialcs. I liavr found ^'rralt-r 
|)r<»l»I<iiis in [\\v small vilia^'i-s of N«'W Kn^'land than I 
rvrr found during \vi\ yt'urs' rrsidtMici- in tin* nu'lro- 
politan ilistricf «»f New ^'ork City. What w«- tn«d 
«'Vrry\vlirr<' is for tvrry man to rcalizr that h«- i> a 
partner with thr stall". What arr nou i)Usinr.ss mi-ri 
hen- tt»niu'ht, if I may tiilk din-ctly with you for u 
nutnuiit, what arc you in l)U.sin«'>s ft»r? I havr heard 
men say: 'I am not in business for my health; I am in 
l)U.sine>> to mak«' my little pile as (piiekly as I can 
and retire.* Wiiat if your minister should say thai he 
was ill the Itiisiness of preaehinj.,' for the sam<* ohjeet.'' 
^ uu Would never care to listen to him a^'ain on Sun- 
day nioniiiii,'. What if >our doctor >liould say that 
his only interest in his practice was for the fe<vs that 
he ^ot out of \\ f ^ oil Would say, *I don't wish him to 
attend a^'ain my wife and children.' What if the 
soldier should say that hi> only interest in enli>tinK 
in the army was his monthl\' waj,'e? ^'ou would >ay, 
"Stri|) oil' that uniform; he is no lit soldier to defend his 
country.' What if your .school teacher >hould say all 
iu" cared ahout education was to pet his .salary auil to 
<io as litth' teaching as he could.^ \ Ou would say: 
'Leave the schoolroom; that is not the type of man we 
want to have as puide for our children.' 

When at dead of ni^ht the lire hells rinp you ex- 
pect the (irenien to risk their lives, with no thought 
of the waj^'es that they will receive, in onler in save 
tlw K<M)ds hehind the counters in your stores. Why 
do Nou expect the firemen to he moved hy any hi^dier 
principle than the man who sells the pjods luliind the 
counter? V<ni demaiul that the tt-acher shall teach 
the school from faith in education and love of the 
children. Do you allow the contract(»r who Imilds 
tin* .schiMil hous<' to huilil it simply in order to put 



money in hi^ pur:>c? 



1103 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



The time is coming when you will demand of the 
builder of the school house, and of the man who sells 
goods behind the counter, and of every man who works 
in the mills and the factories, the same standard which 
you now impose upon the soldier and the doctor and 
the teacher and the minister. We are coming to see 
that every legitimate occupation is a kind of social 
service, and if a man is not serving the social order, has 
no right to be in it. The aim of the true baker is to 
feed the hungry ; the aim of the real clothier is to clothe 
the naked; the aim of the real doctor is to heal the sick. 
If these men do it well, they will have some financial 
reward, — and they deserve it, — but they do not do it 
for the reward. The man who does it only for the 
individual reward is against the public weal, he is not 
worthy to be named a citizen in the highest sense. But 
a real citizen, a soldier of the common good, whether 
he works behind the counter, or in the fire station, or 
in the mill, or the lawyer's office, works as the giver of 
social service, striving to make the world a finer and 
better place to live in. 

It is good to say such a thing on Sunday night, 
but it is a good deal better to try to live it on Monday 
morning (applause.) I have an easier task in saying 
it, than you will have in living it in the years to follow. 

I need not tell you the way in which some con- 
tractors treated the state of Pennyslvania when the 
capital at Harrisburg was erected. Some of them are 
behind prison bars today. In America men have 
sometimes said the state is for what they can get out 
of it, rather than what they can put into it. The 
contribution we can make to the state may not be the 
erection of some great public building, it may not be 
the opening of a public library; it may be a nobler 
ideal of manhood, a more unselfish type of service, a 
more unswerving devotion to the common weal. To 
make that contribution is to be a patriot. 



104] 



EXKRfMHKH IN TOWN' KAIJ.— DR. FAI'Nf'K 



I sometinu's say to my .stu(l«'iit.s in colh'j^'c, that 
wliat Wf ii«'C(l is to K'o l>a(k to the cxaiiiplr of tlif aiicirnt 
(irct'ks and (lie lichrcws. ^ On will miH'inhrr tiiat 
everyone of the Old Testament prophets was primar- 
ily a patriot. Moses stood hefore the \a)u\ at Sinai 
anti said, 'If thoii wilt not save this prople, I f)ray yoti 
i)lot me ont of thy hook.' No om* of the j)rophcts of 
Israel thou>,'ht of savin;,' himself, a|)art from the savin;; 
of the nation to whieh he i)elon;,'ed. And so it was with 
the philosophers of ancient (ireeee. Do you remem- 
ber the oatli of the K|)iiel>i, which Mayor (iaynor has 
recommended to the children in the public schools of 
New York city? When the Athenian youth liad come 
of a;;e, he was brou;;ht before the ma;jistrates of the 
"city of the violet crown," and he took in their pres- 
ence this oath, — * I will not tarnish my sacred arms; 
I will not desert my fellow .soldiers by whose side I may 
be set in battle; I will reverently obey the laws and the 
jud;,'es who enforce them; I will leave my country 
;,'reater and not less tiian when she was commit tecj to 
my keepin;;; I will not forsake the temples where my 
fathers worshipped; of tliese things the gods are my 
witnes.ses.' 

Do you call that paganism? If it is, then we 
need a little more paganism in America. I call it tlie 
fine union of religion and devotion to the Common- 
wealth. I would that every boy or girl here tonight 
might, at some time during this festival be asked to 
j)romise, — *I will leave my town greater and not less 
than when committed to my keeping.' 

And now let me speak with you of the thinl ele- 
ment that I said was included in true patriotism, and 
that is education. All our country today is swept by 
a great discussion as to what we call "vocatioruil 
training." Kverywiiere people are asking. 'Shall we 
change our scliools, so that their chi«'f aim shall be 



(106 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



to give some special training for the tasks of modern 
life?' I am not going into the details of that great 
question tonight. But I want to say this, that after 
all the great purpose of the school is not to prepare 
our boys and girls for a job, but to prepare them for 
a life. While I believe in articulating the schools very 
closely with modern occupations, while I believe in 
making our education as practical as we can, I also 
hold that the great aim is character rather than knowl- 
edge; is to make a type of citizen rather than a kind of 
workman ; is largeness of comprehension and steadiness 
of aim, rather than the acquirement of technical skill. 
I hope, therefore, that while we make our schools 
in some respects really vocational, we shall remember 
that the chief aim is not to make "hands" in our mills 
and stores, but to make citizens worthy of the Com- 
monwealth. We seek the inculcation of habits and 
methods and ideals. When a boy goes to the black- 
board to solve a problem in arithmetic or algebra, he 
may show that he has the four cardinal virtues, or he 
may show he is possessed of the seven deadly sins. It 
is a matter of character rather than of memory. When 
we ask a pupil to translate a sentence from some other 
language into English, at once the type of character is 
manifested. One kind of pupil looks for help from 
some other pupil; he is afraid, when he faces the unseen 
and unknown. There is another kind of pupil self- 
reliant and courageous, that dares to face the unknown 
whether it be a problem in arithmetic, a question in 
history, or the translation of a German sentence into 
English. The real question about your students is 
not how much they can remember but what sort of 
personality they possess; and if in and through our 
public and private schools we can give our growing 
young people sturdiness of character and steadiness 
of aim and earnestness of purpose, after all we have 



106] 



KXERriSF.S IN TOWN IIAIJ-^ — DH. KAU.NTK 



^'ivrii llirm llir cliiff rf|nipni('ii t for life. If we liave 
^ivfii thrill idrals \>y wliidi to live, iind if iummI Ix- to 
<lir, \vt' liavr g'^''" tl'*'"" t'"' Kri'ati'.>.t K'ift that cliurcli 
and scliool can impart. 

Thomas Strplicnsoii huilt njany liKlitluniM-s alon^ 
the coast of KiiKlaiid tliat toniK'lit an- st-ndinK out 
radiance over the chaiuul, hut we owe far more to his 
.son. Hoht-rt Louis St«phenson, liecause he tau^dit us 
liow to live coura^'eously and serenely in the face of 
danger au«l trouble. NVhen Tennyson wrote "Ooss- 
in^' the Bar" he did more for KiiKhmd than if he had 
l)uilt the finest poN>il)le harhor for shij)|)inK. The 
teachers in yt)ur public schools, and the ministers in 
your churches are doin^' as much for your towns as the 
men who may build thing's that we can see and touch. 
They ^ivr our life its tone and (piality, and teach the 
people what thing's are really worth while. 

1 have told ujy students many a time of the utter- 
ance of Theodore Iloosevelt when he was Police Com- 
missioiu'r in the city of New York. He read for the 
first time Jacob Kiis's book called "IIow the Other Half 
Lives." and lie wanted to meet the writer. He went 
down to the lower part of Manhattan and climl)ed the 
winding' stair and knocki-d at the door. 'I'here was 
no one there, so Mr. Roosevelt took out his card and 
wrote upon it. - 'Have read your book and came to 
helj). Theotiore Hoo.sevelt.' I would like to propose 
that as a motto for every man who has been educated 
ill the schools, public or private, in this Common- 
wealth: *We have read the books the history the lit- 
erature the science and now we come forth to help. 
I would propose that as a motto for all who may 
join in the exenises of this week. *\Ve have seen the 
l>aiiiu-rs; we have heard the speakers; we have listened 
to the martial music; and now we ^'o ftirth l«) help <uir 
communitv to realize its own vision.' 1 give you greet- 



!()< 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



ing tonight on this yeur festival, and wish that from 
now until it is over it may be an inspiring, uplifting 
and summoning occasion." (Great applause.) 

Selection by the quartet, " Still with Thee." 
Benediction by Rev. Mr. Waldron. 



108] 



HISTORICAL LOAN ART EXHIIUT 





( \I!(H i\i; (. Mil. I. 



K ^ 

i>\iu.i I I. Mill i;it 




KMM \ 1. -Ml III 





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Ill/ Mil I 11 W II 1,(.<H>»I. 



HISTOIIK AI, I-OAN \\VV KXIIIIU I' 

At a meeting <»f llic \nr Crtitiiri/ Chih held May 
3r(l. 1!>I1. a r(»iiiniitt«'c of {\\v, viz., Kriuiia L. Smith. 
Isal)t'll«- Miller. Loiiist- Twi^^', Carolirn- (i. Mills and 
Elizalu'th Will^oose wtTo appointed to assist the Town 
Committee in {)reparin^ for the eeiehration of the 
Hieenteiuiial of Needliam. This committee was asked 
to take entire charge of an Historical Loan Art Kx- 
hil)it which the Town Committee proposed to hold in 
the Hi^l" School Hall. 

After meeting' and orpmizin^', we divided the town 
into sections, ami each memher of the committt'c can- 
vassed ^iven tiTritory. The articles promised did not 
at first seem to nnmher very many, hnt when the time 
came for collecting we found we had pitht-n-d a very 
interesting' and vahiahle collection. The exhihit was 
opened Sunday r. m., S«j)teml)er 17th, and closed 
Tuesday evenin^j, <lurin^ which time over l.'J(H) names 
were repistered, which showed that Needham people 
a|)preciated historic subjects. We unearthed so many 
articles that if another like exhihit wer«' to he held, it 
would re(piire tlie 'I'own Hall to accommodate it. Some 
of the many interesting artiele.s exliihited were manu- 
seri|>ts, samplers, war weajmns. musical instruments, 
ancient «lolls. cut ^rlass. silver and pewter ware, grease 
lamps and dilTerent kinds of lanterns. <andlesti<ks, 
warming' pans, foot stoves, spinning wheels, reels, ^reat 



'111 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



assortment of pictures, fancy bags, fine hand embroid- 
ery, dresses, bonnets, colash, chairs, tables, shawls, 
fine assortment of china, homespun linen, cradle, 
jewelry, Dutch kitchen, Needham's first postoffice, 
umbrella, hand sewing machine, snuff boxes, vases, etc. 

Many expressed a wish that Needham might es- 
tablish an historical society, as a permanent reminder 
of our two hundredth anniversary, as we all realize 
that many articles of historic interest to Needham are 
being donated to out of town societies. A meeting 
has been called, by-laws adopted and officers chosen 
as follows: 

President, John F. Mills; Vice President, T. Otis 
Fuller; Treasurer, Chester Dewing; Secretary, Fred 
Kingsbury; Executive Committee, Alice M. Mcintosh, 
Alger E, Eaton, George L. Kingsbury and Isabelle 
Miller. 

It is hoped on Friday evening, Nov. 17th, the two 
hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of the 
town, that a society will be permanently organized 
with a large charter membership. 

Emma L. Smith, 
President New Century Club. 



112] 



MONDAY, SEPTEMHKR 18 



TIIK ATHLETIC EVENTS 



A Till ,i: TIC i:\ i:nts 

Monday, Septemiiek is, iiui 

Moiulay, Soptciiihcr IStli, was an ideal day fur 
the atldftics. The tfiii|)(Talure was HO d«-i;re<s and 
the atin«)s|)here perfectly clear. Such condition:* were 
cinidiK ive to especially tine performances. 

'I'he tir.st event was tlie mile run which took place 
in the morning' at 9 a. m. There were fourteen entrees. 
The winners were: — 

1st. James I. Dalhichie 
2iul. I)»-Miiy Sullivan 
3rd. Clinton Ctwjk 
Time, l.'H) 1-5 

Second Event. Baseball (iamc, 10 a. m. \eed- 
ham V, M. C. A. vs. Swanipscott A. C. This provided 
an exciting contest and was won hv the SwaniDscott 
A. C. 

In tlie afternoon starting at 1.30 were the follow- 
ing events — 

100 yard dash, iiandicai), won hy — 
l.st. Frank .1. Stanwixxi 
2nd. Owen \Vtl»h 
3rd. Thomu-s .M«K)rehead 
Time, 10 3-5 soeonds. 



1117 



NEEDHAM'S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



15 yard dash for boys under 15 — 
1st. Paul Nickerson 
2nd. Gordon Brownville 
3rd. Charles Crowley 

Running High Jump — 

1st. Charles D. Burrage, Jr. 
2nd. Lucien Burnham 
3rd. Daniel L. Falvey 
Height 5 feet, 5 inches 

Shot Put— 12 pound— 

1st. Frank C. Peabody 
2nd. Irving Ross Stanwood 
3rd. Daniel L. Falvey 
Distance, 44 feet, 6 inches 

Running Broad Jump — 

1st. John Moorehead 
2nd. Bayard S. Foye 
3rd. Irving Ross Stanwood 
Distance, 21 feet, 8 inches 

220 yard Dash — 

1st. Owen Webb 
2nd. Lewis W. Hasenfus 
3rd. Chester Mills 
Time, 24 1-5 seconds 

75 yard Girls' Race, under 15 — 
1st. Grayce Mitchell 
2nd. Muriel Kennedy 
3rd. Audrey Norton 

75 yard Sack Race — 

1st. Wallace G. Rae 
2nd. Rodney S. Adams 
3rd. William T. Wilson 



118] 



ATHLETIC rV'ENTS 



440 yard Run — 

Ist. Williiiiu J. (iHU^Iuin 
2nd. L«'wis \V. IIustiifuH 
3rd. I><'.slif .\IIcn 
Time, 54 .secoiid.s 

35 yard Potato Race — 

1st. Friink J. Stanwood 
2iul. Williiim T. Wilsuii 
3rd. WtiUutt; Ci. Uuo 

2'2() yard Run— 

1st. RoIktI n. Hurrage 
2nd. Ciror^'c H;isriifus 
3rd. ("iKirhs 1). Burni^c, Jr. 
Tiiiu". 2 Miinutes, 9 1-5 .seconds 

The following ofTiciuls ably conducted the athletic 
events: 

lieferee, William \V. Wvk; Judges, \\ . (i. Rae, 
John F. Giifoil, Franci.s J. Stanwood; Clerks uf Course, 
Henry Lawrriicc, Hayard S. P'oyc, Oscar H. Starkweath- 
er; Stiirtcr, Hei^'iiiald C. Foster; Timers, Arniand J. 
Mathey, Rodney S. Adams. William II. Wye, Jr.; An- 
nouncer, Danit'i L. Falvey; Ilandicappers, Ralph (i. 
Adams, Wallace (i. Rae, Frederick S. Kingsbury. 

The prizes for each of these events were — 

F(tr 1st., solid ^old nietlal 
For "Jtiti.. silver iiiediil 
For 3rd., bronze medal 



[119 



('iiiLi)KKN's knti:htainmi:nt 





•nil: oiiKi \i \ii:i)\L 



CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT 

Not the least iiitrrosting feature in Necilham's 
Bicfiitfiuiial cclrhration was the ciitertainincjit for 
<-liil<lrcu ill Ne«'(lliam Town hall at !).:{() A. M., Mtdiday, 
S<'i)teml)er ISth. 

Several hiiiulred "Little Tuts" with a fair sprink- 
ling of older children anti adults, assembled before the 
opening hour and practically filled the seats on the 
main floor of the hall and in the balcony. If not *' over 
critical," the audience was certainly "appreciative" 
and vigorously and noisily applauded the efforts of the 
entertainers. 

The entertainment comprised a "Pimch and Judy" 
show, .selections by humorists, sleight of hand per- 
formance and vocal and instrumental nuisic by per- 
formers from the Eaton Entertainment liurean of Boston. 
The various acts were credibly performed and the en- 
tertainnjent as a whole was des«-rving of praise. The 
performance concluded at about 11.45 A. M. 

Each child was presented with one of medals cast 
esi>-<ially for this (K'casion. -the boys re<'eiving theirs 
in the form of a watch charm, and the girls theirs, 
hung from a ribbon. 



I2:i 




y c 



KXKRCISKS IN llli: lOWN HALL 



BICENTKNNIAL CErKBHATION OF THK TCAVN 
OF NEEDHAM, MASSACIirSETTS 

Monday Evening, SEPTEiiHEit IH. IIHI 

Tlu' literary exercises of the evening were preceded 
by a short concert given by the Sralham Mililanj Hand, 
and also by the presentation of prizes to the winners 
of the athletic events of the day. These were awarded 
by W. (i. Moseley, Esq.. the chairman and presiding 
ofhcer of the occasion. Following this inter«'stiiig fune- 
tion a male chonis nnder the direction of Fred S. Bir- 
chard rendered "To Thee O Country,*' by Eichberg. 

The ('n.\iHM.\N. "A person leaving Massachu- 
setts and starting West when he reaches a stoppintr 
point is very apt to regi.ster as being from Hoston. TIm- 
farther south he goes, or west, he soon finds that all 
that it is necessary for him to put on the register is 
Massachusettij. 

Massachusetts has occupied a very prominent 
part in the history of the I'nitcd Slates. It has that 
position by reason of its many noted men, and Norfolk 
County has numbered among its residents numerous 
families who had a great .share in the making of tiie 
history of this country. I think there is no more not- 
able family than the one represi-nte<l by our s[)eaker 
tonight, arid I take great pleasure in intrcnlucing to you 
as the first speaker this evening, the Hon. Charles 
Francis Adams" [.great applause]. 



127 



ADDUl.SS OF ( IIAHLKS FHAN( IS ADAMS 

"Mr. ( 'li.iiriii.'iii, I,;nlif>> .iiid ( it-iil Itincti : I w.iiit. 
in tilt' lir.st place, to f^wr xunc rxfuosioii to the fi-rlili^ 
• )f fiiili.irras.NiiMiit I am this <\riiiii;.' couscious of. In- 
(KhmI, witliiii tlir last half hour the c|iu'sti()ii has con- 
stantly l)ccn in my mind *\Vhy am I here at all?' -for 
I fed much as a stranger feels who. introduced sud<leidy 
into a family ^^'atlurin;:. is then called upon to take the 
principal j)art therein. Hy way of explanation, perhaps, 
tiie jjentleinan who lias just introduced nie sj)oke of 
Norfolk County, intinuitin^' at hast a county l)on<i of 
filloNNshij) l)et\\een us. Now, it does so chan<(' that in 
my own person. <»r vicariously, I had lived, so to 
speak, here in Norfolk ever since Norfolk was created; 
hut, some twenty years a^o, one day transferred niy.self 
to Middlesex; I cannot , ther«for»', figure here as a neii:h- 
l)or in the same county even. 

It only remains, therefore, to assume that I am 
pr«sent on this occasion merely as one not altogether 
inexperienced in affairs of this s(»rt, and, inoreesj)eeially, 
as havin;; heen f«»r a niimhcr (»f \ears Presi<lent of the 
Massachusetts Historical Society; for to appear, and 
be ealled up«)n, on celel (rations like this of yours, is, I 
stippose, more peculiarly incumhent upon those who 
chance to he presidents of societies (»f that character. 
The ii»\t (|ueslion that suL'^'esf> ils<lf relates to 
the line (»f remark proper to he followe<i hy one called 



il2^) 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



upon under such circumstances. When, some weeks 
ago, invited by your committee to take part in your 
approaching celebration, I agreed to do so in neighborly, 
informal fashion ; but I distinctly declined to undertake 
the preparation of anything elaborate, or what would 
involve research. Knowing nothing of your local his- 
tory, never before have I tarried in this, your town of 
Needham. I have often, of course, been in Dedham, 
the county seat, and in Wellesley, the home of my 
very dear friend, the late H. H. Hunnewell, — in fact, 
I have been in all the neighboring towns for one pur- 
pose or another; but I have never more than simply 
passed through Needham, without alighting in it. I 
am, therefore, very much of a stranger in your 
midst. 

I have, however, on more than one occasion 
officiated, and even taken the principal part, in cen- 
tennial celebrations; and so doing has led me to con- 
sider some distinctive features of those affairs, and 
upon those features I propose this evening more es- 
pecially to dwell. 

In doing so I have got to deal largely in general- 
ities, and I shall moreover make free use of old material 
of my own. To me, it will be somewhat of a twice-told 
tale; but you at least have not heard it before. If at 
times you find it a bit dull, or even commonplace, you 
must bear in mind that you have brought it on your- 
selves; I did not undertake this task, and find myself 
in an unexpected position. 

In order the more effectively to begin on what I 
propose to say, I shall refer to an experience several 
years ago, which caused me carefully to reflect on the 
principal object of these celebrations, and how best to 
conduct them. The experience referred to was in con- 
nection with the town of Quincy, — the town in this, 
your County of Norfolk, where I and my people before 



1301 



KXKUCISKH IN Tf)\\ N HAM. ( HAItl.K^^ KHANCIH ADAMS 



me li;i(I Ik'cii 1ki!ic of il^ lioiic ;irMl (IcnIi of it> floli for 
more lliaii two liiiiidrrd .-iikI lifly y«'ar.s. 

If li.ipptiicil (liiis: iif.irly fwnify yr.irs n^'o, in 
lS!)v', I tliiiik, tlwy liad a (•<iit«'miial crlcliralion 
thcrt'. an occasion \-cry similar lo that you arc oh- 
scrvin^ now. The pro^'rani of the day was to he ar- 
ranged, ami, in arran^'in;,' it, it was understood that tlur 
pr< paration of the usual address, as it is called, his- 
torical in eharact«T- would devohc on me. Not 
relishing' the task, I disctissc'd the matter with a friend 
of mine, now dead,- he then in his own person repre- 
senting a name associated with (^iiincy since its Ix'^'in- 
nin^'. l*\)r years he had l)een with mc a bland-by in 
town met tint's; and now, in the course of talk, I re- 
f«*rred t«» an address as one established f«>ature of a 
cjunmemoration, telling him frankly that I was tire<i 
of such, and, in my ju<l;,'ment, the day of such perfor- 
mances was over; that we had, in fact, lu-cn (h'lu^'ed 
with them, especially since what mi^'ht well enou^di 
he descrihed as the Kpoch of HcNolut ionary ( 'ent<'n- 
nials, then more fresh in recollection than now. The 
not unnatural result had followed, and, as we all know 
from our individual exi)eriences, we turned with a 
sense of weariness, if not indeed of surfeit and even 
mental nausea, from those coluuuis of the daily paper, 
headed with the announcement that yet one nu)re 
commemoration had been ob.served in the customary 
way with an address, or an oration. These j)erforni- 
anees, whether rhetorical or historical, or both, had, 
I then went on to ar^ue, at oiu' time served tlu-ir |)ur- 
pose, and, in its day, a useful purpose; for in them wa.s 
ri*corded nuich of historical interest anti even value 
that otherwise mi^'ht not have been [)reserved. Hut 
this was before the <lays of historical societies and town 
histories: and the oration or address has now become 
a luediuin by means of which a (|uantity of elo(|uencc 



[131 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



or sentiment, of small present and, so far as my obser- 
vation went, of no future value, was forced on the 
jaded eye and ear of an inattentive public, — forgotten 
as soon as uttered; and their yellowing pages even the 
future local antiquarian was not likely to disturb; for, 
as Hallam, the English historian observed, with a 
warmth of language in his case not customary, in these 
respects 'our Public Libraries are cemeteries of de- 
parted reputations; and the dust which accumulates 
on their unopened volumes speaks not less forcibly than 
the grass which waves over the ruins of Babylon.' 

And I further then went on to tell my friend, 
'Almost every period has some favorite mode of expres- 
sion, — in Massachusetts we once, and for a century 
and a half, had an era of sermons and pulpit discourses, 
and it industriously stored up a vast literature of that 
description, the present dreariness of which is inex- 
pressible; ours,' — for this was about the year 1890, — 
'has been the century of orations and secular addresses, 
— the Ciceronian period of America; and so, during 
it, rhetoric and eloquence, much too often of the tinsel, 
academic sort, were made to serve the purpose which 
logic and theological fervor had previously served.' 
And, finally, I expressed the belief that the student of 
the twentieth century would hold this form of expres- 
sion of our time in not much greater value than we 
held the sermons and occasional discourses of our 
fathers. But we too will have seen ourselves in print! 

As I argued thus, the friend to whom I have re- 
ferred refused to accept my conclusions, replying that 
in his judgment it was inexpedient on occasions like 
that then in view, or like this of yours, to dispense with 
the time-honored feature of an address. He not in- 
aptly compared it to the planting of a milestone, 
marking for all future time some point which a commun- 
ity had reached in its endless journey. Here we pause 



1321 



EXKUCISKH IN TOWN HAI.L <IIAKLF:h FUANCIH ADAM-1 



for ;i iiioiiiciit ; and. resting' from the march, we cast u 
^'laiur backward over (lie road hy wliicli we liave come, 
as well as forward over that wi- arr Vft to travt-r.si*. At 
siicli a time, lie wciil on, we art*, or ought to hf, a worhl 
unto ourselves; *\Vhy, tlien, trouhle our minds ahout 
olhiT people or about posterity, worulering wlietlier 
others are now ohserving us, or whether posterity will 
bear in memory what is here to-«lay taking place? it 
is enough that we — a community by ourselves, having 
both name and habitation of our own — ^have got thus 
far in our progress, and, laying aside our btirden for 
this day, we pile up the stones which in the future shall 
serve as a memorial that here we rested as we passed 
a milepost.* Then he referred to other days, reminding 
me of similar milestt)nes planted in bygone times by 
the hands of those sinci- dead; and, as he enumerated 
these, 1 had to admit there was point and force in what 
he urged. In the case of Quincy, first was the milestone, 
then more than a century ami a half old, which we owed 
to the Hev. John Hancock, father of the famous patriot 
of that name and once ( 17'-2()-1714) past«)r of the North 
Precinct Church of Hraintree, — a milestone which liad 
come down to us in the form of two sermons delivered 
by him to his people, then gathere<l on Sunday, the 
i>()th(jf September, 17:}!) (X.S.) within the walls\)f the 
old Braintree meeting house. After the delivery of 
which discourses, the ancient records say that, 'Being 
the I>ord's day, the First Church of Braintree, both 
males and females, solenndy renewed the covenant of 
their fathers immediately before the particij)ation of the 
Lord's Suj)per.' The century of church life was com- 
plete, and a fitting memorial of it provided, — a mem- 
orial which, though little noticed l)y the great outer 
world, then or since, some, niN' friend urged, would be 
sorry not to have. 

Inlluenced, I will freely admit, by these arguments 
and illustrations, 1 subsequently prepared and delivered 



\IS^ 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



the address on the occasion in question, — I helped plant 
another milestone. ' All things come to him who 
waits,' and so, amid present indifference, my appeal 
then was to the next century, even to a century later 
than the twentieth. So now, in your own case, this 
town will presently celebrate its three hundredth anni- 
versary; indeed, it is just as certain that Needham 
either by itself or as part of some larger municipality, 
will be here and will celebrate in 2011 as it is that not 
one of us will be here then. And why may it not well 
be that in the year 2111, above our very gravestones 
crumbling, those dwelling here may again rest for a 
space as they come to the four hundredth milestone, 
and in doing so hunt up the record of this very day, 
now drawing to its close, just as twenty years ago I 
at Quincy hunted up the sermons of the Rev. John 
Hancock, dwelling for the moment with curiosity and 
deepest interest on that memorial of a remote past, — 
clasping hands, so to speak, across two centuries. 

Yet while, in face of this presentation I then at 
Quincy withdrew my objections to a formal oration 
or historical address, I could not fail to reflect on what 
was appropriate to such occasions; nor can I now but 
revert in memory to an experience I at a later day had, 
when a distinguished gentleman from a distant State, in- 
vited to deliver an address on the centennial of a certain 
town in a neighboring county, instead of dilating on that 
which had an application to the family he was address- 
ing, or was appropriate to that place and such an oc- 
casion, somewhat surprised, and I am obliged to say, 
a little fatigued us, by a long and to a certain degree, 
interesting discourse upon some historical event which 
had, considerably over a century before, been connected 
with the development of a portion of the mighty West — 
the Ordinance of 1787, I think it was. Indisputably 
good in its way, what he said certainly did not concern 



134] 



KXFfUISF.S I\ TOWN HALL THARLEH FUANTIS ADAMH 



tlu' particular comimiiiily then ohsrrviu^ its natal 
festival - its peculiar day of fete. I'liat experience it 
behooves me to hear freshly in mind to-ni^dif. 

lint, let me now a^ain preniix- and distinctl\' re- 
jn-al, 1 am ncjt here to in*>lru<t \'ou this evening on 
your local history; that is a subject with which I pro- 
fess no familiarity. Moreover, di<i I attempt so doin^ 
I would he trespassing «)n tlu' province of the K^'utleman 
who is to follow me. I shall dwell, fherefori', as I hav«' 
already told you, lar;<ely on generalities; and, to illus- 
trate what I mean by generalities, I will begin by going 
far back. 

\<>u ha\f heard. p()»ibly, of that ad\()cate who in 
a court of law began his argument with a reference to 
Adam and tlu' garden of Kden, and was met with a 
desj)airing appeal from the Court to begin at least with 
the deluge. Hut I |)ropose to go back lu'vond tlu- del- 
uge, - back even of Adam and Kdeii far bi-yond both, 
'lliey, in comparison, are of yesterday. The late Dr. 
Holmes was once asked by an anxious mother at what 
age the education of a child should begin; with that 
inei>ive wit always characteristic of him, the genial 
.\utocrat rej)lied, 'Madam, it should begin about a 
hundred and fifty years before it is born.' 

'i'here is much truth in that; and it has a >|)c(ial 
application to our New Kngland towns. I propose to 
a|)ply it on this two hundredth anniversary. When 
did the education, so to speak, of Needham begin.'' 
When was its future destiny fixed for it? Vou will 
possibly be surprised when I tell you it began as near 
as can be ascertaiiu'd about eight thousand years ago. 
In other words, there is a feature conn»'cted with these 
cehbrations to which my attention has twice Iwen 
called, though, s«j far as 1 am aware, no one but my- 
M'lf has e\er in these connections drawn ;itt«idion to 
it; yet it is u thing whiih most vitally elfecls the whole 



[135 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



present life of the place. How many in this audience, 
— intelligent, school-tanght, lecture-going, browsers 
among the books of your Public Library, — how many, 
I say, of those here realize that in the case of your 
Needham of to-day, its products, its industries, the 
lines on which it has developed, and its modes of life, 
were all pre-destined? In other words, its future of 
to-day, — your present, — was fixed for it by events and 
processes slowly occurring during uncounted ages prior 
to the first records of the human race; but processes 
and events which, with a little observation and study, 
we can still approximately trace. They are inscribed 
largely and legibly on the face of the land, in its hills 
and valleys, rocks and soil, have we only patience to 
read the language and signs in which they are written. 
But let me find an illustration of what I mean in my 
own case, — the town in which I live, the place on which 
I dwell. Lincoln, in Middlesex county, is some twenty 
miles only from here. In the case of Lincoln, as in the 
case of Needham, the past divides itself into two por- 
tions, — the pre-historicand the historic: and the historic 
is a mere fringe on the garment of which the pre-his- 
toric constitutes immeasurably the more considerable 
portion. Our records in Lincoln, yours here in Need- 
ham, our most remote traditions even, are but of yester- 
day. Ours, there, go back to 1744, a couple of centuries 
possibly at most, covering the lives of perhaps six 
generations of children of the soil. In the case of Need- 
ham, as in the case of Lincoln, behind that stretches 
a vast imknown, — a veritable time-Sahara. To the 
historian, properly speaking, that time-Sahara will 
remain forever a sealed book; but the geologist has to 
a degree explored it. It stretches back to that remote 
Ice Age which gave to Massachusetts, as a geographical 
expression, the character it bears to-day. Then was 
dictated in advance for each locality what should be 



136] 



F.xrnnaKH i\ town hai-l — f*if\nr,Ka FHAvrm adamh 



tlu' products of its soil, the vorations of its pcoplr. tlie 
lines of its thoroiiKJifarrs, tlir pliasfs of its (ifvciopmciit. 
So and thru, comiiu'rcc was dfcrci'd to Hostoii; a iiwm- 
iifacl iirin^' iiidii>lry f<»r Lowrll and Lawrciicr; a;^'ri(nl- 
tiirr for llic \allf\ s of tlu' ( '(Minrct i<ut and of tlu- ( 'on- 
conl. AikI. inM-dlt'ss to add, if you here in i\«M'dliain 
w«Mit intcliipntly back in your iiivrsligatioiis, you 
would find in tlu'sc prculiaritifs of the soil, <lraina^c 
ami clinialc tin- reason for the indti^trirs which ha\«* 
here ^'rown up. In your homes, in your vocations, 
and in your ^oin^'s to an<l fro in the field and the 
pa>f\ir«', in locating a way or a mill, in choosing a 
sit*' for a house, you do hut f(jllow the lines laid down 
for you in atlvance, whether the lines of leasl re>iN- 
tance, or those of beauty and of ^race, —lines laid 
down for us here in New Enlgand lon^ before the le- 
^eml of Kden assumed shape in the minds and imagin- 
ations of the chihlren of Israel. 

Formerly this was not so. In the times of our 
fathers the scientific study of the earth, and of the 
physical ehan^'es it has under^'one was undreanuMl of. 
The fir^t chaj»l«'r of tlu- book of (iene^is di>po>ed of all 
that, and disponed of it summarily and finall\-. It wa> 
all delight f idly simple. The earth was six thousand 
years old; it was created in six days, it and all its ani- 
mal life, including', of course, mankind; and all, whetlur 
atiimate or inanimate, prafically in the form in which 
we now know it. To (juestion this le^'end was impious. 
The delude of Noah wa.s accepted as an historic fact. 
On the other hand, the actual occurrence of an ice a^je 
was a tiling' not yet dreamed of, even by the most ad- 
vanc«'d and skeptical of scientists. 

F»)rmerly, the ^'reat ice a^e which pive shapi- to all 
this region, including' your town of Xeedham, wits 
supposed to have tx-curred hundreds of thousands of 
years ago. Become wiser now u:» the result of closer 



137 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



and more accurate observation, we know that, however 
long this ice age may have endured, it passed away and 
the earth hereabouts assumed its present shape at a 
comparatively recent date, some 8000 years ago per- 
haps. Prior to that, instead of being some ten or a 
dozen miles from the ocean, Needham was probably 
fifty miles from it, while its altitude above the sea was 
more than twice what it now is. Boston was then 
forty miles inland, and a large river with its aflBuents, 
predecessor of the Merrimac, drained the country 
hereabouts. Flowing down from the New Hampshire 
hills, it found an outlet, it is surmised, not where the 
Merrimac now empties itself, but through this, the 
town of Needham, and down the valley of the Charles. 
Then came the ice age, and during centuries unnum- 
bered, New England was what northern Greenland and 
the region about the pole now is, — one unbroken area 
of frozen matter, its surface dotted by boulders, mov- 
ing towards the southeast in silent, pitiless march. 
This indescribable desolation was, it is supposed, a 
mile or more in solid depth, overtopping the summits 
of your hills by several thousand feet. When all this 
region, the crest of Mt. Washington even, was sub- 
merged by this sea of ice, Needham lay here, crushed 
and mute under a superincumbent burden of to us 
inconceivable thickness and weight. Gradually, after 
a lapse of years concerning which we cannot even form 
an estimate, from causes which will probably never be 
ascertained, climatic changes came about, and the ice 
sheet began to melt away. Its frontier, at the period 
of greatest development, had been some forty miles 
east of Nantucket and south of Cape Cod, some 100 to 
130 miles from Needham. Then as fold by fold it re- 
ceded, wasting away under altered climatic influences, 
the continent beneath it emerged, assuming as it did so 
a wholly new contour. 



138} 



F.\FI{<IHF-.S IN* TOWN* UKfA. — (JI MILKS FHWCIS ADAMS 



I have s.uM that I he final cincrj^rru'e of the New 
Eiii,'lari(I wi* know may lia\'c occiirrcd at a (•<)mj)arat iv«*l y 
recent period (lot more liiaii KOOO years a^o. ^ Ct in 
comparison willi KOOO years how wretche<lly small a 
few scant centuries of municipal life apfx-ar, - a frin^'e 
.scarce honlcrin^' a j^armcnt of unmeasured size. When 
the emergence took plac«', the water sheds, hecause 
of the sliejT weight imposed hy the ice upon the crust 
of the earth, were no lon^'er as they liad hcen before, 
the hrtxjks and streams fiiuhri^' new channels and out- 
lets. The inti-rior had hecome the seahoard, and the 
old >eal)()ard mark«'d the edt,'e of what are known as 
deej)-sea soundings, some fifty miles beyond our present 
coast. In the further interior the contour of tl>e con- 
tinent had under^'one a total change The former 
surface hail been "ground down or scraped away, the 
hills had been denuded, the valleys filled up. Almost 
everything,' had been displaced. When not ^'ou^'ed 
away, the soil had been bodily lifted up and carried 
into remote re;;ions the counties of Harnstabh' and 
Plymouth, or perhaps, borne still further on, had liter- 
ally been emptied into the sea. 

I am not sufli( ienlly familiar with tlu' r«'^'ion here- 
abouts to venture even a surmise as to its former a.s- 
pect or the reason of its j)resent conditions. I can, 
however, fin<l an illustration in my own case \Nhich 
could pnibably be du[)licated in any of the sister towns. 
In Lincoln the house in which I live faces a lake into 
which and from which flows a river, the Su<lbury, one 
of the two streams which lower down become known 
as the (,'oncoril, and as such nieanders into tlu* .Merri- 
nuic. The sheet of water before my wind(»ws is known 
as Fairhavi-n Hay. I liv«'. in fact, at the l>ott<uu tif 
what was once a ^'lacial lake of very c«>nsiderable si/e, 
I'airhaven Bay bein^ the last r<>siduum of what wa.s 
left when tin* barriers disj>olved and the ^dacial lake 



[lao 



needham's bicentennial celebration 



drained away. All this can be read, and I have daily 
occasion to study it, in every feature of the property 
on which I dwell. The soil reflects its origin; it is little 
but sand and marl, with here and there a boulder. It 
is filled with kames and hollows, — askers and sand- 
plains, as the geologists term them, — indicating points 
where glacial rivers deposited their sediment, or the 
ice, melting away, left a cavity in the earth. The 
trees and products of the soil reflect their origin. With 
no true pasture land, there is hardly any accumulation 
of loom. The oak and the pine in all their varieties 
are indigenous. From the time the ice receded the 
uses to which that territory could be put were fore- 
ordained. To those uses it is put to-day. 

Unquestionably it is the same with Needham as 
with Lincoln. Study your soil and the contour of your 
town, and you read your destiny. Yet until within 
the memory of those now living this, so closely iden- 
tified with our daily being, was a study not conceived 
of as possible. 

Passing on from that which is pre-historic, — 
from its vagueness, its immensity, and the well-nigh 
inconceivable duration and force of powers at work in 
it, to me in many respects far the more interesting of the 
two periods, — passing on, I say, from the pre-historic, 
we come to the historic, that of yesterday, in which 
Needham at last became known as such. For 8000 
years or thereabouts the forest had covered the land, 
its sole occupants the wild man and its animal life. 
At last you appeared, and, in 1711, only two centuries 
back, the locality assumed the name by which you 
have since as a community been known. 

On the 5th of November, 1711, the record tells 
us Needham, theretofore during almost a century 
part of.Dedham, was incorporated as an independent 
political entity. But even 1711 takes us somewhat 



140] 



KXFI{risF.8 I\ TOWN HAT,!. CHAUl-KM KHANTIS At)AMH 



f;,r hark— hnrk info lluit period of liunian tnuiitiou 
lyiii^ far Ix'vond the iiicinory of even tlu" oldest of 
iidiahitaiits. ' Tliis fact is vrry forril)ly hron^dit liorm- 
to us wluMi wr licrc in llu' '2i)\\\ (•«-iitiiry n-call, or try 
to recall, the events and lii>t()ric cliaracters associated 
with tliat earlier portion of the 18th. Familiar per- 
ha{)s as honM-hoM words. tln-y yet come to us as echoes 
more or h-ss faint, and piM-raliy a k«>'><1 <1<'''1 ."""■«' so, 
from a very remote past. 'Who lived tlicn? \Miat 
occurred?' In Kurope. it was tiie a^c of (^leen Anne 
in KnKland. and I-ouis, fourteenth of that name, m 
France; it was the period of the wars of Marlhorou^di,— 
the battle of Hlenheim had heen fought only seven 
years before Needham was incorporated; was less re- 
inote from the men of that period than San Juan IIill 
is from ns. So far as the Kn^lish ton^ne was concerned, 
Joseph Adilison and Alexander Pope were the two 
^'reat literarv li^lits of the day; hut. stran^'c to say, the 
one hook or'name of that period which has come down 
to us as a veritable and indisputable household word 
is ]^)binson Crusoe. Daniel Defoe was fifty years old 
in 1711, and is now more alive to us tlian any event or 
name of Needham's natal period; while Hobiiison Tru- 
soe, coming' into existence seven years later, in 171!>. 
is now probably a familiar at every hearth-stone. Hut 
if we bear litth' of that time in memory, what little we 
do .so bear is European. Our own history durm^' the 
first half of tlje 17th century is a blank,- an absolute 
void. Who here, for instance, can pive the name even 
of that (;overn»)r of provincial Massachusetts who af- 
fixed his signature to Needham's act of incorporation,— 
much more, who could pive any account of lum.- \Nere 
his name ^dven. who could mention a sinple one of his 
contemporaries? It is a for^'otten time; irenerations 
have pa.s.se<l out of min<i. In. iced the very ^'rave-stcmes 
in your burying ground, dating from that period, have 
crumbled away, or ccaiicd to be legible. 



141 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



Nor, indeed, is this in any way surprising; much 
less does it constitute ground for reproach. The mem- 
ory of that period, and, for that matter, of the first half 
of the eighteenth century, has been obliterated, first, 
by the succeeding period of greater historic interest 
connected with what is known as our Revolutionary 
troubles, and, next, by the period when Massachusetts, 
become a Commonwealth, as one of a sisterhood of 
states took part in the War of Secession. What is 
known, therefore, as i?}ie provincial period of Massa- 
chusetts, — that is the period from 1684, when the first 
charter was vacated, to 1780, when the present consti- 
tution was adopted, is a period of slow growth, distinctly 
lacking in everything which goes to the making of his- 
torical interest. A century of small things and small 
issues, the succession of men who then, by appointment 
from London, filled the office of Governor, has so en- 
tirely passed out of memory that, with the exceptions 
of Thomas Hutchinson and Major General Thomas 
Gage, not one could be named by the average Massa- 
chusetts inhabitant. In the case of Needham, a certain 
special interest does, however, as I have said, attach 
to Gov. Joseph Dudley, for his was the name affixed to 
your act of incorporation, passed in the ninth year of 
his administration. I propose consequently, for this 
reason, to exhume, as it were. Gov. Dudley, and say a 
few words concerning him. A son of old Thomas Dud- 
ley, who came over before Gov. Winthrop, and was in 
fact the first Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, 
Joseph Dudley, a graduate of Harvard, was in his day 
an accomplished provincial gentleman, — a man of 
ability and a man of note. In that one of the Legends 
of the Province House, entitled "Howe's Masquerade," 
Hawthorne has given us a description of him — brief, 
but graphic and to the point. As, in that tale, he came 
forward in the funeral procession of governors of New 



142] 



KXKnCISIS IN TOWN HAI.I- <IIAHI,F,H KUANCIS AI)\MS 



England, descending' tlie sl.iirca.sc of llir I*n)\iri('e 
House to Kiii^ (icorf^'c's fiiiiri;d dir/.'*-. Haul home 
di'serihes liim as a man witii a 'tlioii^litfid, anxious, 
and sonu'wiiat crafty expression of face; and in spite 
of his loftiness of nianniT. which was evidently the 
result of an anii)itious sjjirit and of lon^ continuance 
in lii^di .stations, he seemed not incapai)le of criiiKin^' to 
a ^Tcater tlian himself.' l''irst and last MassachuM-tty 
has numl)ere<l consideraMy over sixty (Governors, 
whether of colony, Province or Common w<'alth, and 
Joseph Dudley occupied the cliair of stal<' longest of 
them all. \N hen he died in IT-iO the year of the famous 
South Sea Huhhle- the Boston \cw.s-Lctlcr referred 
to him as having been 'a sinpular honor to his country, 
and in many respects the ^dory of it; early its darling', 
always its ornament, and in his a;.re its crown. ' Since 
then, however, the historians of our own time have 
dealt sonjcwhat harshly with him; the last, and best 
informed tlms summing up the man:— 'To jud^e Dud- 
ley's career hy the accusations of his enemies would he 
manifestly unfair. To jud^'c him in the li^ld of the 
twentieth century, when the colonies have become in- 
dcjiendent, would be ef|ually unfair. As has been said, 
his life fell in the michlle period, when dependence on 
En^'land was diminishing' an<l independence was not 
yet pt)ssible Though his character was lack- 
ing in greatness, and his actions were often tainted 
by self-seeking, though his aims were those of an Kng- 
lish oflicial and his ideals opposed to those of his fellow- 
colonists, his long career proves him to have been 
capable as an administrator and eflicient as a servant 
of the crown.' 

L<*aving him whose name is aflixed to tin* j)ar<-h- 
ment which converted Nee«lham from ln'ing a Precinct 
into Ix'ing a Town, and fiassing to other lopi<s most 
Usually dwelt upon on these occasions, I now want to 



[143 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



propound some queries. *Why,' I would first like to 
ask, 'is it that such extreme prominence is in anniver- 
sary addresses almost invariably given to times and 
episodes connected with wars and military operations?' 
Take for instance your own case: — Needham boasts 
a corporate and continuous history of 200 years. This, 
as such things go, is a very respectable antiquity; and 
during that time its women have never heard an In- 
dian's warwhoop, or seen the smoke of an enemy's camp- 
fire. In point of fact, no war or its operations, its 
successes or its reverses, since the death of him known 
in our annals as King Philip, has exercised any direct 
influence on Needham's history, or affected to any 
appreciable extent the town's development. King 
Philip met his death in 1676. In the War of Secession 
as in Queen Anne's War, in the French wars, and in the 
War of Independence, though in far less degree com- 
paratively to population and resources in the War of 
Secession than in any one of the others named. Need- 
ham doubtless was called on for contributions in ma- 
terial, in money, and in men. But after those struggles, 
as during them, Needham's life moved on absolutely 
undisturbed in the even tenor of its wonted way, — 
quite unchanged. The same type of people lived in 
their customary manner, pursuing the established oc- 
cupations; generations were born, went to school, were 
married and had offspring, grew old and died, as their 
fathers and mothers had done before them, as their 
sons and daughters were to do after them. A few of 
the younger men — possibly one in ten of the entire 
population — responded to the long-intervalled calls to 
arms; but of the great, far-away events in which those 
men took part only echoes reached the town; and yet 
what the town did in connection with those memorable 
but distant events becomes in every address and in 
every historical narrative the staple of the story. This, 



144] 



r.XrMClHTJ* IN TOWN HAIJ, (HAUI.FH KRANTIH ADAMH 



I submit, is not as it should he. In f.icl. it lias in it 
no local coloring at all. 

Tlius with Ncrdham as with otiicr .Massachusetts 
towns, the exfx'ditions and battles, whether of 1711, 
of 1775 or of IHOl, and the suffering's and sacrifices 
incident thereto were not momentous factors of fate. 
We remembtT very freshly the conflicts and anxieties of 
the Civil War, nionunicnts commemorating those of 
the town who fell in it are .seen on almost every training? 
pround,^and most properly there seen; for, since 1865, 
we have waxed numerous and rich; hut, if the his- 
torical truth were uncovered, it woidd j>r()hahly be 
founil that the preat, though wholly abortive, (^u<-bec 
expedition of 1711^ — then very real, now sunk in abso- 
lute oblivion- came home to Needham closest and 
hardest of all those trials. Then if was that an expedi- 
tionary force of some 00 vessels, destined to carry 
10, ()()() men, was as.sembled at Boston, and Govemor 
Dudley by proclamation called on the selectmen of the 
towns to .send in each day meat and ve^'etables sufficient 
for their sustenance. An issue of bills-of-credit, — the 
irredeemable {)a[)er money of the provincial periofl — 
was made; a levy of military efficients was ordered; a 
price was put on provisions; and the authorizing of a 
naval })ress-^'an,i; was seriously considered. Recourse 
to measures such as these, excej)t in the matter of paper 
money, was never had (hiring; either the war of Inde- 
yien<lence or the Civil War. And four months later 
when the expedition, ovt-rwhelmed by disaster, re- 
turne<l in defeat, we read that 'the consternation, as 
as well as the disappointment, was extreme.' 

And yet, all this to the contrary notwithstanding, 
as I view and interpret the n-cord of the two centuries 
which have since elai>s<'d, there has occurred in them, 
so far as Needham is concerne<l, but one very consider- 
able event, far n-achin^, all pervading in its influence, — 



145 



NEEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



but one event dividing by a line of demarcation — a 
line clear and unmistakable — the old from the new. 
The year 1834 was by this made memorable. 

Happening on the 7th of July seventy-seven years 
ago, who among Needham's inhabitants now living 
remembers that occasion.'' Doubtless some such there 
are among your octogenarians; but I greatly question 
if one is here present. It so chances, however, that 
over the life-time of a generation ago I had occasion 
to look up the incidents of that day and to write an 
account of what took place. This I propose now to 
contribute to your celebration — a leaf, and an import- 
ant one, in Needham's local history. 

Throughout the year 1833 the railroad from Bos- 
ton to Worcester had been in course of construction; 
and one day, in the latter part of March, 1834, the first 
locomotive ever used in Massachusetts was set in 
motion. The readers of the Boston Daily Advertiser 
were then advised that 'the rails are laid, from Boston 
to Newton, a distance of nine or ten miles, to which 
place it is proposed to run the passenger cars as soon 
as two locomotives shall be in readiness, so as to ensure 
regularity. One locomotive, called the Meteor, has 
been partially tried and will probably be in readiness 
in a few days; the second, called the Rocket^ is waiting 
the arrival of the builder for subjecting it to a trial, 
and the third it is hoped will be ready by the first of 
May.' The last name locomotive, the Rocket, had 
been constructed in the shops of the Stephensons at 
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in England, and "the builder" 
whose arrival was thus anxiously looked for must have 
been an English mechanic specially sent out to super- 
intend the putting of it in operation. 

We are next told by an eye witness, who long 
afterwards put his recollections in writing, when the 
locomotive was 'placed upon the track, its driver, who 



146] 



KXKnnsKH IN TOUN HAF.I. <nAIU.KH FHANTIH ADAMH 



cainc wi'tli it from Kn^'lnnd, slcpju'd ii[)()ii flic plat- 
form with almost tlir airs of a jii^'^'lcr or a prof«*ssor 
of clu'inistry, placed liis hand uj)on the U-vrr, aiul with 
a sii^'hf move of it the cn^'inc slartc<| al a speed worthy 
of the eompaiiioii of the rocket amid the shouts and 
cheers of the mnllihide. It ^^ave me mkIi a slux-k, that 
my hair si-emed to start froin the roots, rather than to 
stand on end.' This feat of h-^'erdemain was per- 
forme<l in March; and, on the lofh of the following 
month, the first section of the Hoston and Worcester 
railroad was of>ened, two trips hein^ made each way 
hetween Boston and Newton. The re^idar passen^M-r 
railroad service in Massachusetts dates, therefore, from 
that day. 

By tiie end (»f the following June the road wa.s 
finislu'd as far as Xeedham, and on the 7tli of July it 
was formally opened to that point; wlu'U 'the stock- 
holders and a numher of other ^'entlemen, to the num- 
ber of about two hundred in all, by invitation of the 
directors, made an excursion to Xeedham, in ei^ht 
passenger cars drawn by the new locomotive Vankrc. . 
Th(> excursion was pleasant, and th«' i)arty ap- 
peared to enjoy the rifle, and the beautiful .scenery 
which is presented to view on different parts of the 
route.' The farther extension to nof)kinton was com- 
j)leted by September, and so on the 'H)\h (»f that month 
another excursion, some two hundred in number, went 
out from lioston in seven of the company's lar^jest 
pa.s.sen>:er cars drawn by the locomotive Yauhtc, an<l 
duly Ci'lebrated the occasion. "I'hey started off as 
the Advertiser of fhe following' day stated, *at a rapid 
and steady pace. 'I'he weather wa.s unusually fin«\ and 
the sweetness of fhe atmos[)here, the rapidity of flu- 
motion, and the bi'aufy and novelty of the scenery 
which was successively presenfi-d fo vi«'w, appeared 
to pnxluce in all the i)arty an agreeable exhilaration 



ii; 



NEfiDHAM*8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



of spirits.* At Framingham the excursionists were 
met by John Davis, then Governor of the Common- 
wealth, by ex-Governor Lincoln and other gentlemen 
from Worcester, who got upon the train and went with 
it to Hopkinton, where it arrived at half past three 
o'clock and was received with a salute of artillery, the 
cheers of the populace and an address from the village 
authorities; after which, under escort of a company 
of riflemen, the whole party went to Captain Stone's 
tavern, where a collation had been provided. 'While 
the party were at table the ladies were invited to take 
seats in the cars, and the military with their band of 
music to take a stand upon the tops of the cars, where 
they were formed in sections. In this manner they 
made an excursion of several miles down the road and 
back, which they appeared to enjoy highly. As they 
returned, the military on the tops of the cars approached 
the hotel with arms presented and music playing.' 

While the wars to which I have referred, occurring 
periodically through a century and a half of your town's 
existence left no perceptible mark on it, the event just 
described inaugurated for Needham, as for its sister 
towns, a complete revolution in occupation, in educa- 
tion, in religion, in thought, and in daily and family 
life. That date, therefore, one hundred and twenty- 
three years from the incorporation, seventy-seven years 
ago, marks the dividing line between the Needham of 
the old Massachusetts provincial period, and the Need- 
ham as we see it to-day, and you know it. 

And now to proceed with the queries I proposed 
to propound : — How long before July, 1834, I would 
like next to ask, had your first post-office been estab- 
lished .f* Quite an incident in your history, what facts 
have you preserved concerning it.^^ How many pieces 
of mail-matter were at first handled in it? — What 
were its annual receipts prior to 1850? Late in 



148] 



rXKUCISKS I\ TOWN HAM, <irARI.KS FRANCIS ADAMH 



tlio ci^'litet'iitli (rntury, — that is, sonu'wiicrc in the 
nci^'hlxirhood of ISOO. sta^*' coachi's lir>t put in thrir 
appearance in Massaeliusetts. Tliey also were a con- 
siderable factor of clian^e. What does any one here 
now know of tlie roads t)ver whicli th»>y ran or of the 
influence tliey in their time exerted? 'Fiie daily news- 
I)aper is one of the ^'reat etlucatioiuil forces of modern 
times. To-day it contains items from all over tiie ^lohe. 
But when did the daily newspaper first find its way 
^'eiieraliy to \ee«lham? Not, I fancy, much if at all, 
before l.S.3(). What was your armual town levy prior 
to ISoO? What was your ai)proi)riation for schools? — 
what for hi^'hways? What ^'reat industrial and econom- 
ical crisis, affecting every phase of existence, has oc- 
curred in tile history of the town? Not one person in 
this audience, I fancy could supply any tiling' approach- 
ing to a specific answer to one of these questions, nor 
are the facts anywhere readily accessible; and yet here, I 
submit, in these industrial, economical, s<K'ial, religious, 
and educational phases is the true field of historical 
town study and local research. The present is always 
familiar and commonplace, — it waa so a century tigo; 
but it is the past which interests — the past of isfl, and 
yet more that of 1711, are, with us in New Kn^'iand, 
almost as much forgotten as the incidents of that geo- 
logical periotl upon which I so long dwelt when I began. 
It is already lost to memory. Historically, it is of the 
nature of a geological stratum. 

Of that forgotten yesterday of Needham, extend- 
ing practically from the ISth of September, 1711, to 
the 7th of July. IH.'U,— a space of 117 years— that 
probably might be s;iid which can be said of almost 
any sister Massachusetts town. 'We are always ac- 
custome<l to regard the past as a better and purer time 
than the present; there is a vague, traditional simjjlicity 
and innocence hanging alK)ut it, almost Arcadian in 



(UU 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



character.' Yet, somewhat a student of history, I can 
find no ground on which to base this pleasant fancy. 
Taken altogether, I do not believe that the morals of 
Needham or of her sister towns were on the average as 
good in the eighteenth century as they are in the twen- 
tieth. The people were sterner and graver, the law and 
the magistrate more severe; but human nature was the 
same, and would have vent. There was, I am inclined to 
think, more hypocrisy in those days than now; but I 
have seen nothing which has led me to believe that the 
women were more chaste, or that the men were more 
temperate, or that, in pro "ortion to population, fewer 
or less degrading crimes were perpetrated. Certainly 
the earlier generations were as a race not so charitable 
as their descendants, and less of a spirit of kindly Chris- 
tianity prevailed among them. 

Let us for a moment, in a realistic mood, face the 
facts of that severe and somewhat unlovely period. 
And first, of morals. The early church records of 
Needham, I am advised, no longer exist; and, perhaps, 
it is well for the good names of not a few of your fam- 
ilies that the fire of April 23, 1751, swept away the old 
Meeting-house, and with it the documents there stored. 
The records of the churches of many of your sister 
towns, however, still remain; and, of some of these, 
I have made historical use. Those who care so to do 
may familiarize themselves with my conclusions. So 
far as morality is concerned, the picture presented is 
not of a character which would lead us to covet for our 
sons and daughters a recurrence of that past. 

Next, temperance : — As respects the m-temperance 
of that colonial period, I mj^self caught a youthful 
glimpse of its vanishing skirts. Distinctly do I recall 
the village tavern, with its bar-room and post-office 
accompaniment; — for in Quincy, in my youth, bar-room 
and post-office were one, — and, moreover, the village 



150] 



exehcihp:.s in town iiaii. — <iim{i,f..s ntANriH adamh 



(Iniiikanls were as familiar to eye and tongiu' as the 
iiiinislcr. [\\v s(jiiirc. or \\w iloctor. I set* tlicin now 
sealed ill tliose wooden arni-eliairs on the tavern poreh, 
waiting' to see the IMyinoutli sta>,'e drive up). The 
drunkard reeling,' home in hroad dayliKiit is an unknown 
spectacle now; then, he hardly excited |)assin^ notice. 

Take reli/^'ion next: — I sui)mit in all confidence 
that the world iias outgrown eighteenth century tlieol- 
ogy. It is a cast-off ^'arment; and one never to be 
resumed. IJitter, narrow, uncharitahle, intolerant, an 
insult to reason, the laxt thin^' it preached was peace 
on earth and ^'ood will among men. I have had oc- 
casion to examine into its utterances and to set forth 
its tenets. The record is there, and those curious on 
the suhject may inform themselves from it. You 
would not sit in church to-day, and listen to what was 
then taught, — an angry, a revengeful, and an unfor- 
giving (lod. 

Schools: I'rior to 18.50 the schools of Massachu- 
setts were archaic, the primitive methods alone were 
in vogue; and not until after the mid-years of the nine- 
teenth century was any attention at all paid either to 
scientific instruction, as we now understand it, or 
to the laws of sanitation. That "little red school 
house" of the earlier time, of which we hear so much, 
would, if rei)roduced to-day, he promj)tly closed by 
order of the Hoaril of Kducation. Charity! the care 
of the insane! the treatment of the sick! In the aiuials 
of all our Massachusetts towns you will find entries 
like the following, taken from those of the town of 
Weymouth, here in your county of Norfolk: —'Voted, 
to .s«ll the poor that are maintained by the town for 
this present year at a \'endue to the lowest bidder.' 
Do you realize what that meant, and who were in- 
cluded in the 'jxior that are maintained by the town?' 
It was the old-time substitute for the a>vhim, the alms- 



151 



NEBDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



house and the hospital. In those days the care of the 
demented was farmed out to him or her who would 
assume it at the lowest charge to the public. Even as 
late as 1843, and in the immediate neighborhood of 
Boston, naked maniacs could be confined in cages, 
or unlighted sheds, connected with the almshouse or 
abutting on the public way. Or take this other Wey- 
mouth record of August 28, 1783, exactly one year 
before my own ancestor. Rev. William Smith, was 
ordained the minister of the town: — 'Voted by the 
Town to give Twenty pounds to any person who will 
take two of the children of the Widow Ruth Harvey 
(that is) the Eldest Daughter and one of the youngest 
(laughters (a twin) and take care of them until they 
be eighteen years old.' 

Twenty pounds in those days was $66.60 of the 
money of our days; and that in old tenor bills! A 
public inducement to baby-farming is not now held 
out. And so I might go on to the close of the chapter, 
did time permit. But Macaulay has said it all before, 
and why now repeat in more prosaic terms the tale 
of ancient wrong? Rather let me close what I have to 
say on this topic with the following passage from his 
History : 'It is now the fashion to place the golden age 
in times when noblemen were destitute of comforts the 
want of which would be intolerable to a modern foot- 
man; when farmers and shop-keepers breakfasted on 
loaves the very sight of which would raise a riot in a 
modern work-house; when to have a clean shirt once 
a week was a privilege reserved for the higher class of 
gentry; when men died faster in the purest country 
air than they now die in the most pestilential lanes of 
our towns, and when men died faster in the lanes of 
our towns than they now die on the coast of Guiana. . 
. . There is scarcely a page of the history or lighter 
literature of the seventeenth century which does not 



1521 



EXEIinsKH IN TOWN HALL f'lIAni.rs f-TtAVCIH ADANfS 



contain some pr(M)f that onr anrcstors wrre h'ss }iuiim:i 
than tlirir posterity. TIh- dixipliin- of work->liop.s, 
of school^ of |)rival«*' familirs, IIioukIi not rnort- eilicicnt 
tlian at prtsciit, was iiilinitrly liar>li<r. Ma>t«T.s, wtll 
born and \m-d, wen- in tin- liahit of lu-atiii^' their mt- 
vunts. lV(iaKoKn<"i knt-w of no way of ini|)artiii^' 
km)wltMl^'c Imt by In-atin^' tlu-ir pupils, lluslmmlb, 
of (Iccriit station, wrrr not afraid to brat tlieir wives. . 
.The inoH' carefully we examine the history of the 
past, the more reast)n shall we hud to dissent from those 
who inui^ine that the evils ure, with .scareely an exeep- 
tit)n, old. That which is new is the intelliK'«'iice which 
discerns, and the humanity which remedies them.' 

.Vnd now, in closing,', let me revert to the fhoUKht 
with which I bepm -the Centennial Milestone and 
the commemoration sermons of the Reverend John 
HanctMk .lelivered in the North Precinct MeetiuK- 
liouse of Hraintree, now (^uincy, in 1710. 

Mutato n«)Uiine de le 
Fabulu narratur; 

A century a^'o, when already for a liundrc(l years 
Nee«iham had been set otT from Dedham, a town>liip 
by itself, the Kiverend Stephen I'almer was its min- 
i.ster. A ^'raduate of Harvard, in its cla.ss of 17H9, 
ordained here in 17!)-2. Mr. Palmer served acceptaldy 
as your pastor until IH^l nearly thirty years, in- 
cluding the first centennial of the town. How. or to 
what extent, that anniversary was then observed I do 
not know; I have not iuipiired. H is recorded that no 
U-ss than twenty printe«l jiublicat ions of Mr. I'almer 
have come down to tis, srrn>on> or ad<lres>es on special 
(KTOsion.s. Anionjf tho.se wcasional address«'s n«)t im- 
probably there may exist one on Needham's Fir«>t 
Centennial. If .so, it .should now Ix- exhumed, and again 



[153 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



brought to light and life as a feature of this celebration 
for 1811 came about at a period when here the United 
States was trembling on the verge of a war with Great 
Britain, and in Europe Napoleon was preparing to 
embark on his fatal Russian venture. And now, think 
I pray you, how much it would have meant for you 
and, indeed, for us all, if at that time the Rev. Stephen 
Palmer, had bethought himself to do what would 
have been altogether possible; — if as the Rev. John 
Hancock set out to do in Braintree fifty years before, 
but, in doing, failed — he had delivered a centennial 
address in which, not dealing with questions of doc- 
trine or indulging in flights of rhetoric, he had des- 
cribed exactly what the town of Needham then was. 
Of what great value and how intensely interesting 
that discourse and description would be todaj'! Had 
he then spoken of the roads, had he spoken of the 
taverns, had he spoken of the schools, had he described 
the industries, the morals and the modes of life, what 
he then said would now for us be a priceless possession. 

Then in closing, let me ask why you do not derive 
a lesson from the past, and, projecting yourself into 
the future, do for your posterity what was not done 
for you. This is the lesson I have to suggest for your 
celebration. 

You are planting a milestone to-day ; the milestone 
which marks the end of the second hundred years of 
the endless journey Needham will traverse. We think 
of the future as being like the present; so did they of 
1811. I imagine, however, it is no exaggeration to 
say that during the next hundred years the changes 
which will take place will not be less epochal, not less 
pervasive, than the changes which have taken place 
during the hundred years now just ended. 

When, therefore, men and women of Needham, 
your descendants and successors meet here a century 



154] 



KKF.UCISKH I\ TOWN ITAt-I- CHAUI.KS KKW* IS ADAM- 



li('ii<«'. till' town wliiili HOW rxists. so familiar to \oiir 
fvrs. will Itc a^ rcmolf ami strange to tlu*m as llw 
Nt-rdliaiii of ISII is to you. Why, tluTcfort', not crfct 
a |nrmaiitiit iiiilf>loiic, I lie record of what is here 
today, so liKlr of which will then remain? 

That to-day and lo-morr«>w, you should ha\c the 
^'ames and the festivities which hav<' marked the o<-ca- 
sion, is entirely prtipcr, alloLjether as it should \)r\ hut 
should you not also leave hehind you a permanent 
memorial of it? 

I.,<'t me tin'refore. suij^^est, this «-n(lurinj; characler. 
'l'he>e are the days of the surveyor, the printing,' press 
and the kodak. Acc(»rdin<;ly you have it in your power 
with little effort to collect in Needham material in j^reat 
|)erfection, of vast future intenvst. 'I'hen as a part of 
this celehrat ion. the memory of which in its detail> will 
s|>ee(|ily fade away, -why not have prepared a volume 
in which shall he incorj)orated not only the record of 
the town as it exists, hut illustrations showing each 
locality and its edifices. Ten years hence it will he 
little re;,Mr(led; twenty years hence it will increa.se 
in interest; fifty years hence it will he well-ni^h price- 
less. Not that only, hut in these days of the kodak 
there should he filed away in your puhlic lihrary pic- 
tures and illustrations of every locality in the town, as 
it now is and looks. .V humlred years hence it will he 
alloijether ditferent. .Vnd therefore, rememherin^' my 
interest in the town of (^uincy twi-nty years a^'t>, and 
the chan^'es there since then taken |)lace, I can only 
.say here and now that if the fjentleman who is to follow 
me— for my time has come to a close — if that gentle- 
man, and those associatt'd with him, will now as a part 
of this, your Two Hundredth Celehrat ion, hrini; to- 
p'ther that mass of material and illustration and topo^j- 
raphy I have descrihed —a thinjj .so easily done —and 
incorporate it in a permanent memorial, they will have 



[155 



needham's bicentennial celebration 



erected a Milestone marking the close of your Second 
Century which those who a hundred years hence shall 
meet to celebrate your Third Century, will regard not 
only as unique but as priceless." (Great applause.) 

Selection by male chorus, "Comrades in Arms." 

Thirty voices under direction of Mr. F. S. Birchard. 

The Chairman. "At the solicitation of the com- 
mittee we have been enabled to secure for this occasion 
a poem written by Mrs. J. G. A. Carter, which will 
now be read by Mr. Roscoe A. Carter." 



1561 



BICENTENNIAL I'OKM 
Mk8. J. G. A. Cartku 

Sons (.f Nwllmm, we greet you! We've heard the })€at 
O'er a wntinent's hrradth, of your homo-coniinj? feet; 
From the North's frigid mountains, the South's sultry 

plain. 
From the western Sierras, the near eastern main; 
As in festive array our fair town appears 
To call the long roll of two hundred years, 
Witli gladness of youth and screneness of age 
She welcomes you home from the world's great stage; 
Here stay your fcM)tsteps, attend at her shrine, 
Leave the furrow unturned, the gold in the mine; 
The workshoj) unopened, the hammer unswung. 
The harvest ungalhered, its glories unsung; 
1 Alive the ships of the sea to the tossing tide, 
Leave the wealth unexi)lored. that Ix-neath may hide, 
Ix-ave pleasure, leave treasure, leave power, leave all. 
Renew the old days, the old home life recall; 
N-ek the woods where you wandered, the fields where y(JU 

played. 
The river that still winds hlue through the glade; 
1 he haunts of the gn-en hills, the dear old trees 
That still to you wave their long arms in the brccxc; 



(LS7 



NBEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



To the halls of your fathers, with gladness come ! 
To the land of first love, your childhood's home! 

With pride of possession our town boasts the day 
When the red men dwelt where she now holds sway; 
When the rippling Charles, all its winding length 
Bore his light canoe, felt his oar's swift strength; 
She points to the seal w^hich her documents bear 
With its rude Indian wigwam pictured there. 
And grave old Nehoiden, rich owner of land. 
To his white neighbors giving the welcoming hand 
And to them transferring, for pittance of pay 
These acres we hold as our township today. 

Our town, fair heritage from them descended, 
With beauty and thrift in full measure blended; 
For beauty, the forests, the river, the lakes; 
(What picture more lovely than Rosemary makes?) 
With sweetest of air, its healthfulness shedding, 
With purest of water, in bounty o'er spreading. 
With churches and schools, uplifting the land 
Toward culture the highest, to bless and expand. 
With factories humming, that bring her renown. 
Seats of Labor's true empire, from base to crown. 

What makes a town's glory? We look forward to see 
When we living have passed, what judgment shall be; 
What then the true verdict of those who have wrought 
For Needham's advance in culture and thought? 
Men will turn back to each separate name 
That has added its share to good or bad fame, 
And where will praise fall? On him who has known 
But one narrow outlook for country or town? 



158] 



nifENTKNM M, VOJStt 



Who lias ^tT\ilfly liowrd to spirit of ^'rcrd, 
I^Mioriii^' tin- liri^'lits wlicrr tin- soiil riii^'lit feed? 
Stiiiiil)liii^' atid marriiij^ tlir lifr lie should iiiiiku 
A pure shilling' lij^ht for |)ostt'rit y's sake? 

Nay, rather on hini who in holh auf and youfli 
Ilrrr plaiitrd the standard of ri^,'hl and of truth; 
Here laid the fouiuiation of true l)rr)thrrli(H><l, 
Tauu'ht liow to advance the triumph <»f K'*'><1'. 
True townsmen unsullied hy ^'reed or hy pelf, 
W\[]\ shoulder to wliPtM, rcKardicss of self. 
True father of eifi/ens ^'inled with pr)wer. 
E()uipped for the need of the day and the fioiir. 

Real town-Iover he. who works for his town. 

Seeking' only reward in her highest renown; 

He ^ivos his hosi hihor of hand, heart and head. 

To make a strai^dit path where his fellows may tread; 

Iloldiiiji lofty eonce{)tions for one and the whoI<! 

He fearlessly leads the sure way to the poal. 

And an ideal town shall ^ive him neelaim 

Counting iiim the true townsman in deed and in name. 

Our town has a debt, owed to those who arc gone, 

To th(> living as well, and men yet unUorn; 

A debt to the past, for her heroes of years. 

When Needhani wrote history with hlcMxi and with tears; 

To tlie j)resent and future, for all who need aid, 

Of the strong to the weak, the brother afraid; 

A debt of the winner to him who has lost, 

A debt of tlie l)rave to the soul tem[)est-tossed; 

A debt of the pure to him who knows shame, 

A debt «>f the rich to the jxMir's honest elnim; 

The one debt that Right owes always [n Wrong, 



159 



NEEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



Uncancelled through life, be it never so long; 

The great human debt, bequeathed through all time, 

The payment of which is a thing sublime, 

For it must be paid in the coin of pure love. 

The currency honored wherever men rove; 

So paid, our good town shall her true glory find. 

And stand, a bright beacon, to bless mankind. 

The Chairman. "Needham is to be considered 
very fortunate in having as one of its citizens a man 
who has taken a great deal of interest and delight in 
accumulating various things concerning the town his- 
tory that Mr. Adams has spoken about, and so I have 
the pleasure to introduce, — if an introduction is nec- 
essary, — our fellow-townsman, George K. Clarke, Esq., 
who has written a sketch for this occasion." 



160] 



ADHRKSS RY CKOHCIE K CI.AIIKK, ^:S(^ 

"Mr. Cliairnian, fellow citizens, and welcome 
miests. Itefore I commence my very lirief address I 
wi>li to comply with a rcjuiest of the selectmen of the 
town of Harvard in Worcester County and read to 
you the following' communication: 

'A gHM'tin^: 'Ilie selectmen »tf Harvard, in Inlialf of the 
town, wish to congratulate tin' town of Needhani on it.s two 
hundredth ainii\er>ary. 

Ilespcctfully. 

\N iLi.iAM M. WiLLAUD, Chairman.' 

( )ne huuflrcd years aL,'o thi> aut umn t he inhabitants 
of Neetiham m( t on a Sumjay in their meeting house at 
the ohi cent<T of the town and devoted the day to an 
ohservance of the completion of the first centurs (jf the 
lif«' of the town. Since ISll this comnmnity has ln-en 
chan^red as by an «'nchanter's wami, the people, their 
homes, their ideas, their environnuMit , their (Mc-upa- 
tions, all are of another a^e. There is, however, one 
characteristic hfl to link the men and wcuneii of the 
older time with those dwelling here today, and that is 
that Auf^lo-Saxon l)loo<l still |)re<l()minates, and insti- 
stutions ori;;inatin^ in old Mn^dand are yet the ideals 
of the people, thouuh suhjeel to man\ iruM)vat ions. 

Ill 1811 the while iidiahilani N of thi> luealitv. with 



un 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



the exception of a few families whose predecessors came 
from Scotland, were practically all of English stock, 
and most of them were born in Needham and had passed 
their lives here. What races and what form of popular 
government will prevail in the year 2011 we cannot 
tell, but we may be sure of this, — that then they will 
nobly celebrate, and that what we have done and said 
this week will after a slumber of a hundred years again 
be of interest to living men. 

Our town is a unit in a constellation of towns and 
cities and mighty states, and it is older than the Federal 
government itself. Its people have been among the 
builders of this great Republic, and its sons have shed 
their blood in many wars. 

In the seventy years of contest between Great 
Britain and France for supremacy on this continent, 
men who lived on this soil, although their homes were 
far from the scenes of conflict, shared with the vic- 
tories and defeats of the British generals, some of whom 
were ill adapted to commands in the wilderness. It is 
true that there were but few officers among our men, 
but the soldiers suffered much in those northern cam- 
paigns, and found there their training school for the 
war of the American Revolution, 

The story of the later wars is long, and fills many 
pages in our history. The soldiers of the American 
Revolution and of the great Civil War did credit to this 
town, and their deeds will be commemorated as long 
as patriotism appeals to men. 

It is an interesting fact that no prisoners of war 
have been billeted, or placed in Needham for one hun- 
dred and fifty years. The reason why no prisoners 
were sent here during the War of the Revolution is 
not clear, but perhaps because there were but few 
paroled officers in Massachusetts, and the privates were 
not sent to the smaller towns. 



162] 



EXKUflHKS IN TOWN MALI. (IKonCK K. Cr.AHKK 



! feel thai I have a rriiiofc a><s()(ial ioji with tlic 
Battle of I.i-\iii|,'toii, for in nj,\ cliiliiliood I was often 
takt'ii to call upon a very an<ient hliml lady. Miss 
A^'ncs Austin, who was horn in ('harle>town an<l lived 
thert- for many years, and who deli^dited to tell her 
visitors that she .sair the British troops under Mar! 
Percy and Lieutenant-Colonel Smith on their return 
at the close of tlie m«'moral)K' nineteenth of April, 177.5. 
A consideiahle numher of thes»)Idiers had thrown away 
their red coats, and much of their e(|uipnient. The 
first legacy that I ever recei\«'d was under the will of 
this vcnerahle lady, who was a distant connection of 
my family. 

The annals of Needham also record honorahle 
achievements in peace, of which we may justl\ he proud. 
In the years of poverty following the War of the l{ev(j- 
lution our town he^an to maintain its schools from 
thirty to thirty-six weeks each year, and continued 
this custom, althou^di until within forty \-ears of the 
present <lay many |)rosperous towns in this Common- 
wealth provided for their eliildren only two terms of 
twelve weeks each, the winter and the sumnuT t«Tm. 
Our citizens havi* never refused to tax themselves in 
the cause of education, and have ^iven the schools 
prominence and t'llicicncy for many years. It should 
not he forj^'otten that for six years Welleslev Colle^'e 
was one of our institutions, and the story of its foimdin^, 
and of its rapid ^'rowth is a j)art of our history. To 
some liere present the time seems not so far away when 
we went to the town-farm to attend the meeting's of 
the town, and to vote at .State an«l Federal j-lections. 
Then our citizens came from the vill.i^es of Welleslev, 
ami (irant\ille, and the Lower Falls, and they were 
not merely friends and neij^hhors, hut were Nee<lham 
men. Those who live in the Ttiwn of Welleslev take 
pride in its prosperil\, and its Leant if>d homes, i)ut our 
iiistorv is their histor\', and s\\\\ e\cr remain >«>. 



[ItKi 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



During the first one hundred and fifty years Need- 
ham had interesting and varied industries, — faggots, 
paper, gkie, hats, shoes, silk, cotton and woolen goods, 
hinges, doors, blinds, machinery, iron implements, and 
paints, with the usual complement of sawmills, grist- 
mills and cider-mills, but of them all only the paper- 
mills at the Lower Falls gave continuous employment 
to any considerable number of persons. Fifty years 
ago the manufacture of knit-goods began to be of 
consequence, and to-day is by far our largest industry, 
and the product of our factories is widely and favorably 
known. 

A century ago the community consisted chiefly 
of farmers, and as late as 1848 this was an agricultural 
town, although West Needham had been somewhat 
changed by the building of the Boston and Worcester 
Railroad. Even in those days Needham was esteemed 
a healthy town, and invalids were sent here by noted 
physicians. To-day Needham is one of the suburbs 
of Boston, the business interests of many of its people 
are largely there, and agriculture as a calling is of the 
past. The reputation as a health resort, which our 
town enjoyed sixty years since, not only has not been 
diminished by the presence of a comparatively large, 
and constantly growing population, but has been in- 
creased by its fine town water, and its freedom from 
epidemic diseases. The light and dry soil may not 
have been an unmixed blessing to the farmers of the 
olden time, but it is a source of health and comfort to 
the people of to-day. 

Needham has been the residence of few men of 
national importance, but it has been the birth-place, 
or ancestral home, of many whose names are known 
and honored beyond the bounds of this Commonwealth, 
as well as within its borders. Of those now living there 
are several whose life-work has been of benefit to thous- 



1641 



EXIPrTsrs IN TOWN ITALL f;FORfIF. K. ri.AHKK 



niuls. At (lilTcn'nt periods aufliors Iiav*- dwtll lure, 
both lucii and women, whose Nterary jirothietions 
were esteeim-d in their (hi\ , and in .some instances have 
|)rove<l to he (»f prrmaiHiit vahie. West Xeedharn has 
a U)n)^'er h^t of writer^ llian has our present town, and 
its name is hnkcd with tlial of Dr. Wilham T. (i. 
Morton, th»' imm(Mlal di>cover of ctlier as an anaes- 
thetic in surgery. 

We had lio|)cd that the l'n>,idrnl of th«- I'niled 
States wouKl he here at Nomc lime dnrin;,' thi>. Hi- 
centennial celehrjition, and if it is true that no Troident 
of this Kepuhlic has visite<l us, whih- in oHice, since our 
^reat first President was here in 17S!>. it is time that 
we should hav«' an opportunity to a;,'ain extend 
our hospitality to the Chief Magistrate of the Inile.! 
State.s. Vice-Presiderils have come to iN'eedham, hut 
I think not in rec»'nt years. In the old days West 
Needham was on the direct rout«' to the interior of the 
Province, and the Royal (Jovernors, travelling .slowly 
by coach, or on horseback, and often stopping,' for re- 
freshments in our town, knew it well. Before the days 
of railroads there were sla^'e routes throui^h the town, 
and several taverns tlourished here, some df them w«'ll- 
known for the ^'ood cheer and comfort found beneath 
their roofs. 'lUv Washin^tonian movement t)f more 
than .seventy years a^'o was the first ellici«-nt uprising 
in this State in behalf of temperane<' in t he use of drinks, 
and doubtless did even more than the coming of the 
railroad to clo.se the taverns. Probably the earliest 
tavern in Needham was Mills's at the l^.wer Falls. Hen- 
jamin .Mills was its landlord in 17(>.>, and his hostelry 
had the advanta^'i- of beinj^' «>n one of t In- main thorou^di- 
fures, and (iovernor Joseph Dudley, JudKc Samuel 
Sewall and other ili^'nitaries patronized it. sti we nuiy 
infer that it was fairly well kept. 'I'here w«re a number 
of later tavcrn.s in town, but of tho.sc within the limits 



[lOo 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



of the present town the Mcintosh Tavern was perhap- 
the most prominent, and until Mr. Revere built Nehois 
den Hall, sixty-seven years ago, its large room was the 
place for public meetings, social gatherings, and dances. 
Anecdotes 'have come down to us of good times in this 
old tavern, and of amusing occurrences there. The 
building was burned after it had ceased to be a public 
house. 

It is difficult to tell who was the pioneer among 
the first settlers of Needham, but it was probably 
either a Mills or a Dewing. It is true that the Fisher 
family had owned land in what is now Needham as 
early as 1650, but apparently they did not live here 
until much later. Captain John Fisher was appointed 
in 1703 by Governor Dudley to look after the Natick 
Indians, which he found no easy task, and at that 
time his home was on the north side of the Charles 
River. Captain Fisher had been a soldier in King 
Philip's War, and was the captain of the first company 
of militia formed in the Town of Needham. Lieutenant 
Andrew Dewing was in command of the garrison-house 
near the Charles River, in the Ridge Hill section, 
during King Philip's War, two hundred and thirty-five 
years ago, and may have had some of his family with 
him. The forty petitioners for the incorporation of 
of Needham represented twenty-one distinct families, 
but of the twenty-one only Alden, Dewing, Fuller, 
Kingsbury and Mills, and perhaps Fisher, have des- 
cendants of the same surname living in Needham in 
1911, and of these the ancient Fullers are reduced in 
number to one young lady. The Town of Wellesley 
possesses some of the Fullers, and also the Wares, and 
possibly might add one or two other names to the list. 
The Woodcocks and Hunttings have disappeared within 
the recollection of many here present, and for several 
years there were no Dewings in Needham. 



166] 



EXKRflMF.M IV TOWV HALL— fJKOnOE K. CLARKE 



The older Ncrdliani is passinj^' away, tlir populous 
.sul)urli, p«rliaps (IcNliiicd to preserve its identity. I)ut 
eerlaiii to l»c a |»arl of a metropolis, is alr«-ady visil»l«" 
to prophetic eyeN. May the three hundredth anniver- 
sary he eelel)raled hy a people as loyal to Needhani 
as those who have done so well their part in this year 
of (irace nineteen hundred and eleven, even thou^di 
far ^'reater changes eonie than hav«' yet hecn known, 
or dreamed of." 

The closing mnnh4>r of the program was the siri^'iii^ of 
u sc'Ieetioa hy the ehorus, '* Tenting Tt)ui^lit." 



ir,7 







tf^ 

---^f 



.W" 



T 





TUESDAY, SEPTEMBKU 19 



THE PARADE 



THE PARADE 

Onr of the most interesting features of the eel«- 
hration. and the one thinp to which the nniltitiide had 
l<M)ked forward with tlie greatest expectation was |}ir 
Civic and Trades' Parade, which t(K)k place in the fore- 
iUH)n of the l!)th. 

The formation of the [)arade was a,s follows: 

Miss Gracf* Elwell, Ahee Elwell and Mary Delvin, mounted. 
the Inst «»ii a colt frotn the stahlcs of K. (j. Pond which 
was hroken hy the young woman herself 

Platoon of Police 

Neetlham Military Band 

E. G. Pond. Chief Marshal 

E. Wes.son Adams and Mr. Singleton, Aifis 

Sons of \eteraii-<. and tlie fojlowint,' town ofhcf-rs, guest-; and 
j)rorniiient citizens (M-cupied the carriages in the parade: 

William G. Moseley 
Henry T. Cliilds 
Willijim I'rolxTt 
Austin Potter 
txigar H. Bowers 

George A. Ilosley, Senior Vice Commander, Depart- 
ment of Massnehu setts, (i.A.R. 
Charles A. NN Dod, Cunnnander l*o>t 03 of Natick 



173 



needham's bicentennial celebration 



Edwin A. Taylor, Commander of Galen Orr Post, 

181, of Needham 
John A. Til ton 
Fred Orr of Melrose 
Fred Kingsbury of Wellesley 
Members of Post 63, Natick 
Members of Post 62, Newton 
Members of Post 121, Hyde Park 

Float — Town Seal, which was one of the great features of the 
parade, represented by John F. and Sumner 15. Mills 
and George Lyman Kingsbury. The two Mills 
brothers were dressed in an accurate reproduction 
of the early woodsmen, and Mr. Kingsbury took the 
part of the Indian "Nehoiden". The background 
was a miniature of the familiar scene on the corporate 
seal. It was particularly fitting that the original 
transfer of the land to the early settlers should be 
expressed in tableaux two hundred years later by 
members of two of the oldest and most prominent 
families of the town 

Miss Nina Aker, with a Shetland pony team 

Needham Fire Department 

Natick Fire Department 

Wellesley Fire Department 

Dedham Fire Department 

Needham Water Works Department 

Float — Highway Department, with steam drill pulled by the 
steam roller — representing rock drilling 1711 — 1911. 
At one end of the float three men were industriously 
drilling a small rock, two were striking with sledges 
on a drill held by the third; while at the other end a 
modern sUeam rock drill was steadily drilling through 
a large boulder by means of steam supplied by a 
twelve-ton road roller which at the same time fur- 
nished the motive power for the whole 



174] 



THK, PARADK 



Floiit- Nrr.ll.ai.i Voun^' lV-..|.l.-'s Ass.M-iiili.M.. n"\ '••■'it 
had imtiirnMis pliuanU iinitly pntilrd. <lrs«rihinK 
llir various fratnn-s cf tlir or^aiii/.atioii. '1 hr riitirc 
float was (Irapr.! witli n-d. whitr and blur iMiiitiiiK'. 
On llir plafforin of llir floal. Mr. Cail-li.k jjavr a 
dcnioiistratioM of wri^'lil lifting and physical ••xrnisc 
at fnM|Urnt intervals during' tin- ruWrv coiirsr of the 
paradf. Aflrr Ihr para<lc ihr rooms of tin- As.scKialioii 
werr thrown oprn to tin- puhlic 

A. O. U. W. Dc^jrei' rtain 

Boy S<H»uts 

Twcnty-scvcn niiMn»KTs of the Carpmf.Ts' Ininn ird hy thr 
president. Irving U. Stowcll. and carrying banners 

Fife and Oruin ('(trp 

Principal iNorsTRiEfl of the Town 
Float— NVilliani Carter Company. Cndcrwt'ar Manufa. tnnrs. 
with sixteen barges carrying their employees, lliis 
exhibit was five miniutes in passing a given point. 
I>ead by an exhibit of ni«Miern machinery. Largest 
feature in the entire parade 
Float-Moselev & C.mipany. Knit (mhkIs. drawn by two 
horses and displaving the various completed pnKliicls 
of the mill, as well as showing the yarn from which 
thev are made just iis it originally c<»mes into the 
factory, then the cloth and finally the finished gar- 
ments". There was a group of six little . hiMreii 
dres.scd in knit eai)s. sweaters and leggms. and accotn- 
I)anied bv two of the men emph.yees. .V sign was 
shown nrxivc the whole with the trade mark. " hny 
W.ar " A sign on the sid«' of the float Ih-1ow the 
phiiform had the firm name "Mos^-Iey & Company, 
cstablishe.l ISSO." ThoM- on the float wer<— 

William H. .Jackson, and his three little children 

l^iwn-nce .lackson 

Ix'wis .Iacks<in 

AUxTt Jackson 



11- 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



Samuel J. Wilson and his three little children 
George R. Wilson 
Ruth A. Wilson 
Robert B. Wilson 

Float — George E. Wye Company, Knit Goods. This ex- 
hibit consisted of two four-horse floats, the first depict- 
ing a Shaker colony scene composed of five young 
ladies and the overseer, conveying the idea of the 
origin of the so-called Shaker sweater. This float 
bore the title "Ye Knitting of 1711," the imperson- 
ators being costumed after the old Shaker style. The 
other float bore the title "Knitting of 1911," it being 
intended to convey the idea of the modern knitting 
establishment, — displaying the modern sweater knit- 
ting machine and power sewing table, together with 
the modern and common office appliances of the tele- 
phone and typewriter. Both of these floats were 
enclosed and ornamented with colored trimmings. 
On the top of each float was the enlarged trademark 
of the Company, the first being the letter Y with its 
accompanying design and the second the Great Dane 
dog's head with its accompanying lettering, and both 
bore the following inscription : 

Est. 1888 Inc. 1905 

GEORGE E. WYE COMPANY 

Pleasant Street and Dedham Ave. 

Manufacturers of the 

GREAT DANE SWEATER 

BATHING SUITS AND JERSEYS 

Float — William Bourne & Son Piano Company, highly decor- 
ated, with a piano player attachment in full operation 
during the entire parade 

Float — Edward E. Dailey, Paper Box Manufacturer, dec- 
orated with red, white and blue bunting, drawn by 
four black horses. Suspended from the saddle of 
each was a suggestion of the lapse of two hundred 



176] 



TIIF. PAnADK 



yrnrs. in yrllow nnci wliifr clirv^anf limitims. 1711- 
HH 1 . Arraiii^rd as a pniiriiitl urrc n-d, wiiilc aii<l 
lilin- hnxrs from llir lop of wliicli fjoalrd llir Aliirriraii 
lia^'. Around tlir Imsv of tin* pyramid wrrr M-alcd tin- 
riiiployr<vs ra«'li dn'ssrd in wliitr, wraring hats ina*!*- 
l)ox-slia|»«'(l. Irimmrd willi tri-colorrd l)and>i. and 
wavinj^ the lii-cciitciinial pniiiaiils. At flic front 
of catli liat w a.s ji ^ijl let trr arranp-d to spt-ll I in- name 
of tin- «'in|iloyt'r. In llic n-ar two ^'irK. onr holding' a 
l)tin<il«- w rapjx'd in pajx-r and lied wifli luinr 1711 
the ollirr a l»ox -I'.Hl n-pn-smfcd the old an<i nrw 
way of w ra|)pinfi ^oods for >lii|)nirnl 

Float — Tlir Kdison Company, lar^'c and decorated, with an 
cxhihit of household articles run hy electricity a 
most aftra<li\c and |>ractical exhihif 

Float -New Mnjiland 'rdephone &: Telegraph ( drnpany. 
lar^c ami de<(>rated, with a .sw itcliKoard in full <»per- 
at ion 

Adams Kxpress Conipany, one tram driven l>y William F. 
Eaton 

Bailey's Auto Express 

Matthes Express 

Float Wilfred (i. lilades. Huilder. with a miniature house, 
accurate to the smallest detail 

Alfre<l Parker, ('out raclor and Huilder, one dworated team 

Tlie Old Nia^'ara Hand 'I"ul», we||-rememl)ere«I hy those 
who "ran with the old machin«-." Its pict ures(p]t>nes> 
was a little injured l>y ha\ in^ it "mamied" l»y Imrses 

II. S. Locke &: Son, l.umlter one four horse deeoratetl wa;^'i»n 
loaded with huildin^' material. (Jeo. Palmer, dri\ it 

How.ird .\. Oossinan Conipany, Hay and (irain, rfi>rfspnt- 
in^ the old farmer ^oin^ to prist on h<»rsel)aek in 1711; 
a sinj^'le team n-|)res<'nlin>; the husincss in lS,Ht); a six 
horse ^'ray team represrnl inp I In* method of doiiif; 
l)u.sine.s.s in I'.U 1 



(177 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



E. G. Pond, exhibit from Noon Hill — deer, fawn, eagle, a 
coon and an owl, guarded by a fine terrier 

Business Houses 

Groeers 

Adams Brothers, five highly decorated teams 

T. J. Grossman's exhibit with Mr. Grossman leading, on 
horseback. Then five wagons decorated with some of 
his numerous articles of merchandise. Following 
came a wagon advertising the tea and coffee depart- 
ment and driven by Mr. G. M. Donahue, a clerk 
who had been in his employ fourteen years. Second 
came a wagon advertising paints, oils and varnishes 
driven by Mr. J. F. Durbin, also a clerk for fourteen 
years. Third was one of the finest and most unique 
of all the teams represented, the cracker team deco- 
rated by the Sunshine Biscuit Go. and advertising 
their goods. This was driven by Mr. H. T. Smith. 
The fourth was trimmed with bunting and decorated 
with general groceries advertising those on sale at 
"Grossman's Gorner," driven by Mr. G. L. Grossman, 
father of the proprietor. The fifth was also decorated 
with flags and advertised general groceries, driven 
by Mr. A. B. Grossman, son of Mr. T. J. Grossman. 
The horses were all decorated with plumes and 
pennants, and altogether with the wagons made a 
fine appearance 

J. J. Whetton, represented by three single grocery delivery 
wagons, decorated, and driven by employees. Notices 
called attention to two good looking serviceable horses 
that had been in the service for twenty-three years, 
Bill and Bell, twenty-nine and thirty years of age. 
Two double coal wagons, one loaded with a new burning 
fuel called Briquetts — Highland Goal Gompany. One 
decorated float representing the Gunard Steamship 
Gompany of which Mr. J. H. Whetton is agent, 
manned by persons in uniform of the Steamship Gom- 
pany and carrying the Gunard House flag 



J78] 



TIIK PAHADF, 



Saiiiiirl Siiiilli, (inMM'rlcs and I'ro\ isinns, oim- ilrcurahil 
wa^'oii driven l>y Tlionias (Jainlxl 

'I linnia-^ Sill Inn. I \vn ri<-\\ly painlrd wa^diis drcciralcd willi 
llu' nationaJ colors, liiintin^ an<l pliinirs. ihc first 
callrd a Imfclicr carl, rcprociilin^' ati r)ld-fas|iioiic(l 
way of snp|»Iyin^ provisions in llic oiil-lyin)4 districis, 
drawn hy a lirown liorsc. Major, who lia<l Imtii in tlio 
s»T\ ice for ci^lih'cn years, and driven l>y .larnes K. 
Tisdale the past ei^dit years; the si'coiul, an order 
wa^'on drivetj hy Rohert II. Kaynies for ten years. 
represenli?>^ the present method of order and delivj-ry 
in the more thickly populated portions of the town 

C. \N . ^^o()dl)U^y, a wajion decorat«'d willi hnnfinj,' and a 
display of ve^'elahles 

Oliver Crisp, one (h'coratcd deliverv wa^'on dri\(n hy F. 
Donald Wel.l. 

Dry Ciuoil.t 
C. K. C'ushinp. a small two-wheeled cart drawn l»y a Shet- 
land pony of «lin)i?nitive proportions. A tower deco- 
rati'd with hnnlinp and Maps and surinonnted l»y a 
small rulilx-r hoof was hnilt ov«'r the carl. whi<h itself 
was partially covered with si^ns advertisin;^ his giMxls. 
In the centre of the tower a large sign reading 
"Always there 
witii the 

doods" 

was shown, reading alike on hoth sid<'s. Master Kay 
(lavagan was the (Iriver 

( iHil (ind MVhk/ 
Pioneer Coal Coinpany. Joseph Willett. Proprietor. wa.s 
re|)n-srnted Ity a float drawn l»y a [»air <»f w«ll-mat( lied 
Mack horses. On the float were nine snow-while coal 
ho«ls filled with "sparkling Mack diamonds"; aKo 
cfial shovels |)ainted Mne and white; larp* sij^Mis 
httere<i "KstaMished 1872" and "I'rouipt Delivcrj" 



(179 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



The whole surmounted by the firm trademark and 
draped with the national colors. The driver wore a 
miner's cap surmounted by the regular mine lamp 

Poore & Chadwick, one double team loaded with coal, driven 
by John Murray 

Farm and Produce 

Pine Valley Farm, showing the old settler who plodded along 
with his ox-team load of produce 

Webb Farm— Milk 

Hillside Farm — Float decorated with bunting, flags and 
yellow corn, displaying the utensils used in the care 
of the milk from the stable to the consumer. A well 
groomed cow with its calf also added to this very in- 
teresting feature. The second float contained the 
milkers in white coats and caps. Two milk wagons 
covered with bunting and flags finished the display 
from Needham's leading dairy 

Jerry Bond — Vegetables, Garden Truck 

F. H. Whipple — Distributor fruit and vegetables 

D. Simon — Cattle 

S. Rosenblatt 

David Cohen — Fowl 

Frank Marsilli — Vegetables 

John H. Fitzgerald, Village Blacksmith, decorated float with 
a forge in full operation and a pony being shod. Oldest 
established business under the same management, 1869 

Ice 

Needham Ice Company, Frank A. Mcintosh, Manager 
Union Ice Company, Thomas Kilmain, Proprietor 



1801 



THF PARADF 



Pninirrs ivtd Jlnxutc Derordtars 

Bcmis & Jewctt 

Fniiik I.. Hn)\vu. Tlii". (I.ial n'|)n>s«Milr<| a |)airil«'r »»f 1711 
ami two painters of I'.M 1, with advrrt iM-iiiriits of vani- 
i^lii's aixl l«-a<l 

I"\ 11. ("lews drove a Konl Kiltialnxit, MtMiel T aillo. to show 
how it loiiM Ix- iiM'd ill his hiisiiiess. j)aiiiliii^. lie 
had a box attaehed where the nililMe seat fits on. to 
carry sl(Kk in, and on the sides were two hir^e pla- 
< ar<ls. one leMiii;,' the fait that he had painted the 
town hall and ^ild<'d (he dome for this oeeaNioii, the 
other tellin<^ of his sil<-eess in l»H'>iiiess iisiii^ Kiilj^'s 
Invst lead and oil. Tho auto was drapi'd in the national 
colors 

Fruit 

Ciiarles Stevens & S«jn. two teams loadeij with frnit and 
riehly decorated 

Frank de Fazio 

Baker 

('. A. I^'ader had one one-horse hakerv wa^on dressed in the 
national colors and driven hy Charles A. Iy<'ader, Jr. 

Teamnnj und (Dntrarting 

J«)lin Law^on had a douhh' team driven hy Thomas Kenofiek 
with two Italians shovi-ling on it. It aUo carried Mr. 
I.JIWXW1 liimM'lf. A sin^U' team next tlriven by Walter 
Frederick Lawson with (ieor^^e MtMian and a fellow 
Italian named I'etc Tine on it. \n Italian named 
.iohn Marriot drove the third team. ( )ii this there 
were ti\i- Italians showiiii; how to ii^e the pick and 
shovel 



S. Goldman 
L. ilirshbcTg 



Hardware 



(isl 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



Florists 

P. E. Richwagen. A wagon loaded with flowers and foliage 
plants. Wagon decorated with bunting, horse with 
flags, driven by his son, P. Burnhardt Richwagen. A 
second wagon, a light delivery or democrat, decorated 
with flowers in body of wagon, outside with bunting, 
horse with flags, driven by his son, Earl W. Richwagen 

Denys Zirngiebel 

Upholsterer 

Wendall Hasenfus — decorated float with three employees 
showing the process of upholstering furniture 

Float — Cold Spring Boat House, which consisted of a two- 
horse float carrying a modern canvas canoe richly 
painted and decorated. The canoe was completely 
furnished with carpet, cushions, back rests and pad- 
dles, and had a United States flag at the stern and 
Union Jack with Canadian coat of arms in the bow. 
The decorated canopy was supported by oars and 
paddles 

Sons of Temperance, Leonard Dawson dressed as Nehoiden 
for whom the Lodge is named, carrying the iron in- 
signia of the Order surmounted by the regalia worn 
by the First Worthy Patriarch of the local division, 
William N. Ayers, fifty -four years ago 

Dedham Wet Wash 

Hathaway's Bakery of Waltham, — a concern that has sent 
teams to Needham for thirty-seven continuous years. 
One of the two teams was driven by L. F. Kimball, 
one of the first drivers; the second by the present 
driver, W. R. West 

Waltham Laundry, George Twigg, local agent 

Underwood & Company of Natick, furniture and household 
utensils 

John McDowell dressed as a colonial, on a motor cycle 



182] 



TUF I'ARADF 



Howard A. iind Mrs. Crossman, Irving' K. Ross. Mrs. Ross 
and Irving' Jr.. in aufo Ixautifully dt'ioratcd with 
wisteria, rrpn'seiitiii^ Japanese family. 

(lordon 'I'lirncr willi two aiitoinobile.s 

Get)rK«' K. Wrag^' and family in dccorali-d auto 



[183 



THE VETERANS 




Htl.DlKH^ Mn\l \\\.\\ I\ NKKHil.WI < I'.MKTKKY 



Till-: VKIKKANS 

Tlie Bicentennial ('onnnittro niadt- tliou^litful 
provision for the local veterans of the Civil War. 

A lar^'e i)arKc willi fonr liorsi-s was furnisluMJ l.y 
the Conunittee for tlieir tran>portation in the >,'reat 
Parade. The har^'c was profusely decorated hy the 
veterans witii our national colors in red, white and 
blue hunting,', which with the (xcupants of tlie har^'e 
added K'r^'i*^lv to the many interesting features of the 
proc-ession, largely because of this aiuiiversary (-onung 
in tin- fiftieth anniversary year of that Civd \N ar. 

One of the most pleasing incidents on the last day 
of Neediuun's celebration of its Bicentennial anniver- 
sarv wa-s the large KatheriuK «)f Veterans of the Civil 
War, from the surrounding towns, at the mvitation 
of our local Crand Army Post. These ex-soldiers 
were loyal representatives of six difTerent towns, and 
moreover, they .served in reKimenl>. batteries etc., 
representing various states, from Maine to Illinois 
The Po.st thoughtfully provided a s\ibstantial 
graiuKtand. ui)on which the old soldiers and the la<lies 
accompanving them comf.)rtably sat and viewed the 
parade, ai it pa-sseil before them. They enjoyi-d the 
many humorous things which cK-curred ami observed 
with* interest the changes in the mechanical arts as 
shown bv the picturcMjUe display of nuxiels. of the 
industries now carried on in the town, compared with 
the days of fifty and sixty years ago. 



187 



NEEDTIAM S BICENTE>fNIAL CELEBRATION 



Natick and Hyde Park, both large manufacturing 
towns, were well represented, the former by upwards of 
forty veterans. Newton, a city of great individual 
wealth, Dover and Medfield noted for their broad 
farms, and Dedham, our County seat, and mother of 
Needham, were here by representation, to witness and 
express their surprise and delight at the scenes about 
the town. 

After the parade at 12 o'clock, a luncheon was 
provided for our visitors in Kingsbury hall, by the Post 
and the Women's Relief Corps, at which over a hundred 
were seated. Invocation was said by the Rev. Chas. 
E. Sawtelle, then the ladies of the Relief Corps charged 
upon us with great pitchers of coffee ready, sugared and 
creamed. The clatter of knives, forks, dishes and 
spoons could not drown the praise, jokes, stories and 
laughs that served as sweet sauce to the food so rapidly 
disappearing. 

When hunger and thirst were assuaged. Com- 
mander Edwin A. Taylor introduced Vice Commander 
Hosley, whose eloquent address was greatly applauded. 
Our board of selectmen, Messrs. Henry T. Childs, 
William A. Probert and Austin Potter honored the 
occasion by their presence and actively assisted in 
entertaining our guests from out of town. The chair- 
man of the board, Mr. Childs, spoke feelingly of the 
respect and consideration held by the townspeople in 
the past and present for the veterans of the Civil War. 

The Rev. Edward Marsh followed with appropriate 
allusions to the day and the services of those present 
in helping fifty years ago to bring about these present 
conditions. Representatives from the different towns 
were called upon, and it can be truthfully said that 
they acquitted themselves satisfactorily as evidenced 
by the smiles and applause they received. 

A delegation from each of the Dorchester and 



188] 



THE VFTKIIANH 



Nfwtoii "Trnts" of tlir DaiiKlit'Ts of Vrtrrans wvtv 
our lioiiorcd ^Mn-Nt> llirouKli .iii iiivit;ition rxlnidcd fo 
thrm, ill oiir lulialf. I»y our lo<-aI Sous of \rf «ran>. N(»t 
to !)«• ouhloiu- l»v our lu.ilr K"«'>'^- ^^''^"^ Kathrriur 
l'Moo<l of I lie |)..r(lHst.r Tent <l«IiKlilr«l tlit- au(lirn<«' 
by luT happy rrmark> prrliiuiit to tin- o<(a>i«.ii atnl 
prf.MMicf. wliicli wvrr riilliu>ia>ti( ally clirmd. 

This funclinii las|r<i until tin- luiddh- of IIm- aftm- 
noou and tli.rr \va> >till tiiiu- afTonhii tlio-r pnxnl 
to listrn for an hour to the ddi^ditful iuusi«- l>y niir 
Military Hand undtr llw sujMrl) lcad<T>liip «»f K. C. 

Carv. 

Thomas II. Di nmam. 

Chairman I'ost CommUtce of Arrangements. 



(189 



Tin: I iiJK i>i:i'AinM i:n r 



VUIK DKPARTMKNr TAI^ADK 

I [xm in\ it;il ioii from I lir ( 'ointiiit tec mikI l»y ordrr 
of ('lii«f il. Hdwjird I plijim, tlif I'irr I )r[)art iix-nt was 
assriiihK'd at llic ('ciilral I'irc Station, ("lu-stmit Street, 
on Tnesday. Sept. lOtli, 1!)11 for the pnrpose of en^'a^- 
iii^ in the Trades and Civic I*ara<l«' of the Hicfnl<'n- 
nial ( 'elel)rat ion of the Town of Needhani. 

Tlie Chief had previonsly forwarded invitations 
to parade with tlie department, to the chiefs of the 
nei^dihorin^ towns and cities indndini; the niother- 
town of l)e<lhani and tlie ofTsprin^' \\<Ile>Iey. 'Ihe 
parade was fornie<l as follows: 

BoAHI) OF KnOINKEHS AND StPKIUNTKNDKNT OF FlHK Al.AltM 

Chief, H. Howard Cpliain 

Assistant Chief. AlKtoM IC Howers 

District Kii^,'iiieers, liinofhy A. Sullivan. Needhani Cp- 

JMT Falls, William F. lirown. Charles River 
Sui)rririten(lriit Fire Alariii, Willard I*. ('(tok>()n 

\'isiTiN(; CniKF-s 

C hit f II. .1 Harridan, of Dedham 
W. \V. Di.hl. of Wellesl.-y 
A. II. Fiske. of Fraiiiin^ham 
William Daniels, of Natick 
F. !.. Metcalf. of Franklin 
K. M. Cr.Kkett. of M<-dfor<l 
.loll II Wetherlxf, of Ilydc Park 



VXi 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



Hand Engine, Niagara 1 

Built in 1846. Purchased from the Town of Hingham, 
Mass., in 1884. Out of commission in 1890 upon introduc- 
tion of Water Service 

Combination Co. 1 — Central Station 

Captain Rodney S. Adams 
George Holt 
Charles Woodbury 
Frank Gaughan 
Fred Cookson 
Percy Moulton 
Frank Lane 

Combination Co. 2 — Needham Heights 

Captain John W. Crisp 
Lieutenant T. R. Quinlan 

Frank Scotton 
George Kennedy 
Harry Walker 
James Pidgeon 
Samuel Smith 
William Smith 
Wallace Rae 

Hook & Ladder Truck Co. 1 — Central Station 

Captain Dana L. Southworth 
Lieutenant John T. Farrand 

Howard Flewellyn 
Wendell H. Hasenfus 
William H. Slaney 
William Brown 
Daniel Sullivan 
William H. Slaney, Jr. 
William Clews 
Herbert Slaney 



194] 



FTRK nKPARTNtKNT PAnVIii; 



IIOHE Co. 1 CmMU.KS RiVKIi 

r'jiplaiii Lindsay Miiiiiis 
Liciitciiaiit llarrv l-nrsytljo 

I )anicl Mat ll(•^s son 

.loscpli NN aj^'stair 

.lolm 1). ( 'ook 

Adolph Hurriniin 

( 'liarK's Day 

Ilowarfl Sliaw 

Hose Co. 3 — Needham Upper Fali^ 

C'a|)tain .larnt-s V. Dairy, 
( Orcy Statu 
John Rao 
Harry Sliopi>orson 
Kdward Dalcv 



Hose Co. 4 — Neediiamdale 
Captain Henry D. Blackmail 

Visiting Companies 

Coinliination Hook and Ladder Co. 1. Wellc.sley, ten men 

Hose Co. 1. Dedliain, ten men 

Hook and I>addcr Co. 1, Natiek, ten men 

I |)<)n (li.sini.Nsal of tlic jjarade tlie drpart nicnt and 
guests a.ssoinl)le(l at tlic Central Station, wliere a ban- 
(|uet wa.s .served. 

At '2 A') P.M. a ^M-neral alarm was sounded liy the 
chief from Ho\ "^S, located at tlie Central Station, 
calling the entire de{)artment to Needham Scpiare. 

liy order of the chief, ladders were place(i upon 
the Town Hall and the Hournr Huildintr, wher*- lines 
of ho.so were placed l>y Comhiuatiun Co. 1 and Com- 



[195 



needham's bicentennial celebration 



bination Co. 2. Upon their arrival, lines of hose were 
placed upon the same buildings by Hose Co. 3 and 
Hose Co. 4. 

Upon completion of the exhibition the depart- 
ment was dismissed and sent to quarters. 



196] 



THK BA\(^rKT 



Tin: liWc^rF/r 

Tuesday Aftkunoon, Septemhih 1!). 1!)11 

At :il)(>ul r.:{<l I'. M. fvrrytliin^' was in readiness 
f»>r tlie l)an(iiu't and llie company assciuMcd. At the 
head tal)le iiiH)n the sta^'e was sealed His KxceUetu y, 
CJovernor Foss; lion. lx)uis A. Frothinghain, Lieuten- 
ant-(;overnor; Hon. James M. Merrill, Connty Com- 
missioner; Representative Horatio (i. Hathaway, Jr. 
of Dedham; Con^'ressman John W. Weeks; Senator 
CharK's W. Pearson of Brookhne; J. Stearns Cushin^', 
C'ouneiMor; Secretary of State A. V. Lan^'try; Mayor 
Charles K. Hatfield of N«'wton; l{ev. (Jeorj^'e Whitaker. 
Rev. Robert L. \Vel)l>. 15. H. Joimson, Fxj.. and Wil- 
liam (i. Mo.seley, the chairman of the (M-casion. 

The invocati(m and prayer by Rev. Robert L. 
Webb was as follows: "Our Father, wilt Thou look 
upon us with Thy favor today as we ^'ather arouml 
these tables taking part in this celebration which has 
meant .so much in this town. We thank Thee for 'Hiy 
ble>si!i^,' on the fathers who founded this community. 
We thank Tiiee for the favors shown to this town all 
throu^'h the years that have ^'uidetl it in its life. We 
thank Thee for present prospi-rity and for the abuiidant 
outl(M>k upon the future. W«' pray Thee, our Father, 
that a> Thou ha>t led us in the past .so wilt Thou lead 
and bless us in the years to come. Bless, we pray Thee, 



(IW 



NRRnilAM S inOENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



those in official positions throu^liont this community; 
give them wisdom and understanding, ^ive them power 
to execute. We i)ray Tliee tliat the spirit of true patriot- 
ism nuiy abide in lh<' hearts of all these our citizens. 
And, our Father, may not only this comnumity but 
may all communities in this old 15ay State, the state 
that has been so nuich in the history of our land, be 
blessed of Thee, and may the candle of liberty burn 
brightly that generations to come may be blessed even 
as we have been blessed. So accept om* thanks for this 
provision for our physical needs, and help us to see 
that every good and every i)erfect gift cometli down 
from above. Amen." 

Music was furnished by the Puritan Orchestra 
during the banquet. 

The Chairman. "The Governor has come to us 
today after a long journey from another part of the 
state and desires to say a few words to us at this time 
as he desires to depart very shortly; so I have the honor 
to present to you His Excellency the Governor." 



REMARKS OF GOVERNOR FOSS 

"Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen: I am glad 
to be here with you totlay just to bring a word of greet- 
ing. I have come over from Uxbridge this afternoon 
where I have been attending one of the numerous 
county fairs. You know that Uxbridge is one of those 
delightful little towns of about 5,000 inhabitants over 
in the Blackstone valley good to see, one of those in- 
dustrial centers studded with mills and several large 
industries, ami they have had a wonderful county fair, 
it being a section of the state where oxen are still in 



200] 



THK MAVgiKT flOVKHNOIt ^*< >HM 



rvidrricr, mIiIioii^'Ii flic aiitoiuol)!!*' is rorjiin^ in fast 
iLs yon know. 

Now, vnii lia\'f liail a womlt-rful (rlthraf ion here 
today I am told, and 1 lia\'(* also Ik'cii attending' soinr 
cclchralicuis rl.srvvlicrc. Then* was tin* on<* linndrt-d 
and fiflirtli anniversary in Wardiain tin* other day 
which I had the pleasnre of attending. Also I went 
up and attended tin* hundred and fifti<'th uniiiversury 
of the town of Rutland in N'ernionl. 

liut thi> is tin- two hundredtii anniversary here in 
Needhani, and I want to conjiujiid the civic spirit <if 
this eoininunity, this lovely and heautiful town of yours, 
and your citi/ens in coining out and making such a dis- 
play and in llouri>hinL,' so many flaj^s and decorations; 
and th<-n I undcrstaixl the parade has done you nnich 
credit. 

And the thou^dit which is in my mind today is this, 
that this connnunity is .so near tlu' ^reat metrop<»lis 
of l^)ston. so closely connected hy ties of husincss inter- 
est in every way, my thcju^Mit is that of cooperation. 
Most of you business men who live here in this town 
ar<' doin^' husiness in Boston, your husim-ss is hxated 
there, and when we are thinking' and talking' ahout 
greater iioston, an<l of the greater unity hecause of 
what the tendency of the times is today, wc shall have 
this ^'nater IJ<»ston when we shall hrin^ together these 
comnnmilies hxated aroimd this ;.,'reat industrial and 
commercial center. Tln-n we shall ha\<' ma«le a ^'reat 
city of Boston ; not a city of 7(M».(MM) peo|)le as it is ttnlay , 
init a city of a million and a half taking' in an area uf ten 
or fifteen mih's around the State Ilojise; anti then 
Boston will not rank as the twentieth city in the world, 
hut as ahoiit the tenth city in tin- world. 

\Vi' are cjititled to that rank, we are fast lie<-omin^'a 
commercial cent«'r. and I c<»uld tell you ahout tin- Ix'j^is- 
luture on Beacon Hill and the appropriation of JjSD.UUil- 



[201 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATIO N 



000 for the improvement of our harbor. You are all 
interested in the proposition, — all of us living near the 
harbor where our interests are so strong. It is a move- 
ment which means so much to this state, especially 
to this section of the country. 

I am not going to detain you long, as you have a 
great array of talent on the platform, and when the 
dinner is over you will want to hear from them. The 
Lieutenant-Governor is here and can tell you what has 
been going on on Beacon Hill this last year, what we 
have been doing and what the result is to be. 

I want simply to say in closing that I thank you 
very much indeed for the warm greeting given me today, 
and how much pleasure it is for me to be with you and 
say these few words and to extend to you the greetings 
of the Commonwealth. I thank you very much " 
[applause]. 

After the remarks of the Governor, and when His 
Excellency had departed, the banqueting was resumed, 
after which the following addresses were made. 

The Chairman. "As we are nearing the close 
of this very successful celebration I am sure it will 
give me great pleasure to congratulate you and the 
town upon the completion of the program provided for 
this occasion. We have had a very pleasant time; 
it has been very successful, and now as the final thing 
we have met here to enjoy this banquet, and we have 
with us as guests a number of men identified with the 
Commonwealth and with our county and the neighbor- 
ing towns. They have come here as the guests of the 
town of Needham, and I know you are glad to have 
them here as your guests. 

The Governor, before he left, said a very pleasant 
word for his Lieutenant-Governor, and said you would 
have the pleasure of hearing from him, and that he 



2021 



THK HAN'gfKT — I.IKfTKVANT <;<)VKIlNf )« rUf)THr N< ;H \M 



woiiM t<'ll you al>out th«' t hint's at tin- State Iloiisr and 
other itcni>of inttTcst. Wr shall h«> ^'lad t«> ln-ar from 
tln' Hon. lyouis A. Frot hin^hain. Lirutcnant-Ciovcrnor 
of Massachusetts." [^^rrat applause and chrrrs, with a 
fry of "What is the njaftcr with Trijl hiiij^haui, hr'.s 
all rij^'lit. Who i> all rii^'hlr' I'Vot hiii^'haiu"J. 



KKM.VKKS ()!• LIKl IKN A.\ !-( iDVF.K \()K 
ri{()lllI.\(ilIAM 

"Mr. Toast niaslcr, la«ii«'s and ^'«*iillcni«-n. I U-v\ 
vt-ry nuich at Iioiih" in Nt'cdhani, esprcially after your 
most kind and very warm reception; I feel at home lu-re, 
not only because I have heen liere before and spoken 
fronj this platform, but befuu.se I live on Needhuin .soil 
[lau^'iiter]. 

Now, that may seem ver\ peculiar to you, ladies 
and j,'entl«'men, but if 1 am correctly informed it i.s 
absolutely true, because numy years a^'o when they 
built in that |)art of Boston below Charles Street and 
the Common, which is now known as the Hack Hay, 
they took the soil from .W'cdham [renewed lau^diter]. 
Hut just becau.se we took .some of your .soil I don't 
know that we can entirely a^'n'e with the (iovernor that 
you want Hoston to annex all your .soil [a voice, "No" 
and applause] and I sometimes do a^'ret* with tlu' 
(iovernor [more lau^hterj. I certainly know it would 
be u ^'ood tiling' for Hoston to have you with us, because 
yours is one of the best town governments and a model 
for any other to follow [applaus«'J. 

.\ny town or city that lan erect as ^'(hmI a hwikin^ 
building' as this with .such a beautiful hall, and after- 
ward.s can turn back money into the trea.sury certainly 
deservt's comm»'nilatit)n and deserves to be followed by 
oilier communities*. 



(203 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



You also supplied us with trees, I am told, and 
those trees were taken from here into Boston by oxen, 
so that we had oxen in those days as now at our agri- 
cultural shows [laughter]. 

Now, I should not undertake, as much as I would 
like to do anything the Governor asks me to do, to tell 
you, as he suggested, all that went on upon Beacon 
Hill the past winter, for we had the longest session the 
Legislature ever has had in Massachusetts, and if I 
undertook to tell you a quarter part of what they did — 
or left undone — and that latter part would be easy — for 
they didn't leave much undone apparently — it would 
take not only this afternoon but a great part of to- 
morrow. 

Two of those trees which were taken in from here 
to Boston were rejected, as I understand it, and were 
brought back again and planted near the border-line 
between here and Wellesley, and they may now be 
seen there growing in a flourishing condition. 

The poet, I think it was Holmes, wasn't it, said 
that 'Little of all we value here waits on the morn of 
its hundredth year without both looking and feeling 
queer,' and after double one hundred years we would 
expect Needham to feel very old and very queer. It 
is a long time, ladies and gentlemen, for this country, 
and Needham has prospered and she has been progres- 
sive without following all the necessarily so-called 
progressive doctrines we hear about nowadays, but 
she has progressed in the true lines. Its citizens went 
forth at the time of our Revolutionary War, and the 
proportion of loss at Lexington and Concord from this 
town of Needham was greater than from any other 
town in Massachusetts except that of Lexington. They 
went forth again at the time of the Civil War, and they 
gave their quota of blood and showed that Needham 
was still patriotic. 



204] 



TTIF nANQI'Frr IJKt'TKNAVT-fJOVrRNOn F-RDTMINCHAM 



You Imvr playrd your |)arl, ladies and ^^'itillrrnrTi, 
uilli Ma.s.sacliux-t t.s in all llu- ^'naf r\(iil^ of this 
country. 

To many people the hi-.tory of the I'niteil Stales 
jMH'ins less attractive than that of some forei^'ii countries 
hecaus*' we ha\<-n't the ruined castles and titles of a 
feudal nol)ility that are to he found across the water, 
hut those art" shallow people; the history of America 
from its very newness lends at tra<tions. Where else 
can ,\()U find a count r.\' settled as this was, not for con- 
(|uest. not for f^ain of that kind, l>ut to ^ain freedom, a 
free church, a free government, a free spi'cch, stretch- 
ing out its colonies and finally throwing; of? the yoke of 
the mother c»)unfry and hecomin^,' fr«'e, welding' to- 
^'ether into a ^reat and strong' ^rovernment to l>e cast 
assunder for a time hy the Civil War, hut coming' 
together afliTwards stronj^er than ever, and l)e((»min>^' 
the greatest repul)lic(jn the fact of the^dohe? [a|)plause) 

Where else can you find such chara<t«'rs as Wash- 
in^'ton and Lincoln; in what other coutitr\' in the world 
can you find so many careers where the harefoot hoy 
has risen hy the strength of his own j)ersoiiality to the 
hi^dicst position in husiiu'ss, professioiuil, and political 
iif.-? 

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a ^reat country, 
we have great traditions, and no state in this Union 
has lived up to those traditions hetter than Massachu- 
setts (a|)plause]. We have «lone t)ur <luty in time of 
war; let us see to it that we do our dul\ likewise in the 
time of peace" (great applause). 

TilK CliAiUMAN. "I have had occasion to say 
once or twice during the cehhration that NLissachusctts 
is proud of its men. I helieve that Massachusetts is 
proud t)f its representatives in Congress. We have 
ahle men from Massaehu.setts parli<ipaling in the delih- 



(206 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



erations at Washington ; we have, however, one man who 
has been deemed worthy of high official recognition in 
that body, a man who, whenever he addresses the 
body, receives the very best of attention; a man whose 
suggestions are Hstened to with great care, and when 
followed are found very profitable; and so tonight it 
gives me great pleasure to present as our next speaker 
Congressman Weeks, our congressman from this dis- 
trict" [the audience rises and gives three cheers and a 
tiger for Congressman Weeks]. 



REMARKS OF CONGRESSMAN WEEKS 

"Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, consider- 
ing the fact that I am not a candidate for office, I think 
those cheers were unusually hearty [laughter]. 

You have been wise in having this celebration; 
it is always wise for people to get together and compare 
notes, and taking an account of stock to see what they 
have been doing during the last half century at least. 
You not only get together yourselves, but you bring 
back to your community those who have left it for one 
reason and another, and especially those who were 
natives of the town; and sometimes they bring back 
to you something valuable, and occasionally one leaves 
his native town that which is valuable, and I hope that 
will be the case here. In any case you have been wise 
in having this celebration, although it takes work and 
effort to make it successful, even when there are many 
willing hands. 

I will say to you confidentially that I came here 
to talk about a matter I have had on my mind, but 
I see that this is not the place to do it; therefore I am 
going to change my text and discuss briefly something 
the Governor gave us as an indication of his view of a 



206] 



TnF nANQifrr ff^vrnKssMW wffks 



pill. lie (iiHvslion. I am not doinj; it Ix-c-aiisc I (lo not 
aKMtr with llu- (JoViTiKtr, Ixcaiisr I <!<» fn (|iuntiy a;,'n «• 
with Iiiiii oil matters not pohtical, anil of <-onrM' I wdiild 
not think of injecting' anything; |)oIiti(al hrrc In tliis 
parlicuhir I {li>aK'rr«- with liini, and want to call your 
attention hricfiy— and witliout ^jivinj^' it any <-on.sid«'ra- 
tion for tliis occasion wliy I disaKn-c with hitn in Ids 
su^^cstion that tliis coninumity shouM l)cconic a |).'irl 
of Boston. 

Tlnn^'s hi^' arc not always virtuous sini|»ly hccaiisr 
they are lar^'<*. If they wrrv I should l>e one of the most 
virtuous men, which I am not; hut thing's are ^'ood he- 
eause tlu-y have value without n'j^'ard to their size, 
and that hrinj^'s up this whole (piestion of ^'overnm«'nt, 
of the form of ^'overnment, of the ^'overniiK'nt we have 
had in New Kn^'land for tlie last two hundred and fifty 
or three hundred years, and the ^'overnment w«- have 
had to work out of our conditions as they would come 
to us from day to day. 

Mr. Hryce, the British amhassador, whom I esteem 
as a friend of mine, has .said in his commeidary uj)on 
our ^'overnment, that the one faihin- the Ameriean 
pet)ple have made was in their municii)al p»vernnient, 
but he would have said in the same hreath that tin- 
one ^reat success which tliey have ma<le has heen made 
in their individual town ^'overnment, or the government 
we have heard ahout and known ever since we have 
been on this earth. The old New Kn^land town ^Govern- 
ment is the best ^'overnment evolved by man, because 
it is the individual j;ov»rnment where every individual 
knows all the details, takes an interest and becoino a 
part of it. 

But when a community ^'rows t«) any extent the 
pure d<-m<Mracy which exists in the small towns mu.st 
necessarily be substituted with something' akin to it 
but not exact Iv like il. Therefore we mc in the larger 



(207 



NEEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



towns some form of Republican government which is 
made to fit the necessities as they arise. Later on we 
come to city government, which in my judgment, in 
comparatively small communities, is the poorest gov- 
ernment any community can have; the people in a 
large city are the poorest governed people in this coun- 
try. Local government is the most important of all our 
public duties. We sometimes get excited about national 
and state affairs and county affairs, but when you stop 
and think we raise more for local purposes, and there are 
more details in connection with local affairs than all 
others put together, you will understand why it should 
receive our first attention. 

I happened to notice the other day that the city 
of Boston when it was of the size of the city of Newton 
where I live had a net debt of $100,000, and that the 
expenditures of the city of Boston at that time per 
capita were only about one-half of what they are in 
Newton today. I do not say that to reflect on Newton, 
which is one of the best communities in the Common- 
wealth, and where I believe every dollar expended has 
given a dollar's worth of value to the inhabitants of 
that city, but I say it because conditions have changed, 
the world has been moving, we do not live the simple 
life our fore-fathers lived a hundred years ago, and when 
those who antedate us by many years were in charge of 
the conduct of affairs. They did not have the multi- 
tudinous matters of detail which we have to deal with; 
therefore the expenditures were smaller, the amount 
of money raised was very much less than now, but 
today we have, and I believe we must have, all the 
modern inprovements and conveniences which go to 
make up our modern life. Therefore it becomes of the 
greatest importance that we should have in charge of 
affairs men on whom we can depend and on whose busi- 
ness judgment we can place the greatest reliance. 



208] 



TiiK nANgrFT — roNf;nEHHM\\ wikkh 



When we oxtt-iul ;i lown's Kovfriuiu-iit into city 
ROvernnuTit, howcvrr, we ;irr losing sonic part of our 
touch with them; I Ix'hcvc the city ^'ovcrimu'iit takt-s 
a\va>- sonic part of the iiniiii<ipal [)ri(lc which i> in 
every citizen; tliat if we j^'row, as the (iovcrnor sn^'^re.sts 
we may. to \n' fifty or sixty or (-i^'hty or ninety or a 
thousand or a million people that we ^ct just that much 
farther from our direct personal <ontacl with affairs. 

In this town you have something; like a thousand 
voters. "\'ou can get to^'cther in this liall, you can <lis- 
cuss your affairs; you arc not only a delil)erativ<' l>ody 
hut an elective hody as well, — you cle<-t your ofIic»-rs 
and delil)erate ai)out the way you shall expend the 
money for municii)al expenses. I.atcr you will iiave to 
meet other conditions. When the town was organized 
every hotly knew every hody else; it was a scif-su.stainin^ 
community, — the local tailor, the hlacksmith, the ^'rocer 
suj)plicd the needs of the community, hut now you have 
lar^'c manufacturing cstahlishnients lu-rc not necessarily 
supplying local needs hut the whole country and other 
[)arts of the world. The whole condition of life has 
materially chanued. ^ On were one hundred and ei^'hty 
years old as a municijiality when you liad :>.■>()() people; 
in other words, it tt)ok a hundred ami ei^dity years to 
pet topether in this town that numher of pt'ojjlc; hut 
you have doui)led Nour jiopiilation, and in the next ten 
or fifle*'!! years you will douhlc it apain. ^Ou are poinp 
to p«'t into the condition when you cannot come into 
this town hall and deliherate your affairs. 'I'hen you 
are poinp to have a representative poNiTiimcnt not hy 
selection; the im-n who are comini; here will tell you 
how to exj)end your niom\ . ^ oii must ha\c some 
form of repn'sentative govern nuMit to sui)plenient your 
|)ure deiiKKTacy which has existed in this town. 

I have not .'inythinp to say at this time in criticism 
of Ho.ston's city government, hut 1 want to say that in 



[209 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



my judgment it is a poorer government than that which 
exists in these localities here about you; that we get 
more for every dollar expended than they do in Boston 
simply because the average citizen does not lose his 
connection with expenditures and other details that 
make up municipal life, and when it comes for your 
body to maintain your individuality and your munici- 
pality as it is or go into the city of Boston I hope you 
will consider very seriously and gravely whether you 
will not be doing yourself and descendants an injustice 
if you join yourself with a community where the govern- 
ment is poorer than here simply because it makes a 
larger community there. 

The mayor of the city of which I am a resident is 
here to speak for it, but I want to say just one word 
about your neighbors. Every man is somewhat influ- 
enced by what his neighbor thinks. If there is a man 
in this community who maintains his home and estab- 
lishment at a high standard it is an invitation, in a sense, 
for others to go and do likewise. The same things exists 
in municipalities, and it would be impossible for New- 
ton, Needham, Wellesley, and Dedham surrounded 
by the splendid municipalities I have named — it would 
be impossible to be any other than first class communi- 
ties in which to live. Therefore we as neighbors take 
an interest in you and your local municipal success, 
and in your sterling citizenship, and we wish you a 
continuation of all the good things that have come to 
you in the past whether you continue your present form 
of government or change it. 

The fact is, whether you change your government 
is not the final consideration which will determine 
whether expenditures are wisely made or not, but it is 
the quality of the citizens to determine that, and it 
should be your first purpose to maintain the highest 
quality of citizenship. Keep your people interested in 



210] 



Tin: nANQT'ET rON'OnF.RS>f AN WKFKS 



loc.'il .'iikI ^'ovrnimciil.il nfTairs; tlu* iii;m iiilrrcslt-d in 
in the cluirch, in tlic lihrary. ••Ircrnosynary instilutions, 
if tluTc arc sucli, in the various thing's that ^'o to make 
up our lift- in a coininnnity lik«' this, is ahnost invariahly 
a ^M)()(l citi/cn, and I say to you fry fo kccj) every citi- 
zen inlcrcstt'd in those things whether he Ix long's to 
your f)arty or deiioinin.ilion oryourcit_\' or not. I!\ery 
man, wliatcvcr hi> oc(ii|)ation, should he pari of thi- 
hfe, a part of the eonuiinnity where he n\es. 

I want to say one word more, and that is to expri-ss 
to you fTiy own ap|)reei;il ion of Ne<'dham and of the 
|)eo|)Ie (»f Ne<'(lham. It i^ iie;irly ei^lit years since I 
liave tried to represi'ut you in ^^ ashini^ton, and 1 want 
to thank you for assisting me in the p«'rformance of 
my pul)hc chities. I say this witliout rc^'anl to tlie 
pohtical appreciation or support in tliis comnumity: 
I say it to every man. Democrat, HepuhhCan or Social- 
ist, because I have het-n allowed, so far as the citizens 
of Needham are coiu-erncd, to [X'rform my duties with- 
out in any de^'ree trying' to afTect my jud^'ment of what 
the jJFoper duties of a representative in Con^'ress are. 
I have not heen ohli^'ed to (h'vote all my time to petty 
details of no importance to the general puldic or to tlie 
nation at lar^^'e. 

Naturally there are some of those thinps which 
every representative must at times pive some atten- 
tion to, hut I have heen ^iven op[)ortunity to tlevote 
my time to the lar^'er affairs of ^'overnment, and if 
I have not tlone so successfully it is my own fault ami 
not yours. You have piven nie the opportunity to l>e 
a ^ood repre.>entat i\'e for you and for myself as an indi- 
vidual trying to make credit for my>elf ; therefore there 
is due you my aj)preciation for the manner in which 
you have assistetl me in performing my puhlic- duties. 

I hope you will po on as you have the last fifteen, 
twenty, or twenty-five years, and will continue a moilel 



(211 



NEEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



municipality, trying to be the best municipality there 
is in this good Commonwealth" (very great applause.) 

The Chairman. "As our Congressman has well 
said, this is not a political meeting; at the same time 
I feel that there are those present who will be much 
pleased to hear from men representing the Common- 
wealth, and I will introduce to you Secretary of State 
Langtry." 



REMARKS OF HON. A. P. LANGTRY 

"Mr. Toastmaster, I cannot talk about Needham; 
I live a hundred miles from Needham, and I know noth- 
ing about your town excepting that it is one of the most 
beautiful of the many beautiful suburbs of Boston, 
and I do not blame any of you for wanting to live here, 
and I should not think any of you would ever want to 
leave here, and that none of you would ever want to 
be annexed to the city of Boston which is my temporary 
home. I should think that you would rather enjoy your 
own government and your own associations. Knowing 
nothing about the history of your town I cannot talk 
to you about it, but I am going to intrude a short 
political subject, a little political morality, if you please. 

Every one of you has met the man who tells you 
that politics is a dirty game, and that all politicians 
are grafters. There is not one of you but knows 
the man who tells you that, and that man never stops to 
think that in this glorious republic the majority rule, 
and if politicians are grafters it means that the majority 
of the people are dishonest, and everyone of you at 
heart knows that that is not true and that every one 
loves honesty and hates dishonesty. 

Did you ever attend the Bowery Theatre? I 



2121 



THE nANQT'ET HON'. A. P. I^ANfiTltV 



have many a time and there will he a melodrama on the 
chun-liman; we all siii^' the praise of the inuii who is 
sfa<,'e and the ^'allery will l«- packed with the tou;,'hest 
men in the t«)U;,diest city of the Tnited States, thie\».'s, 
piek-po<'k«ls, hlaek-le^'s and murderers perhaps. Tlu.' 
hero comes on the staj^'e and that /^'allery cheers tiuit 
hero as you never heard him cheereii when the tickets 
cost two dollars apiece, and they j)ay ten cents admis- 
.sion. riie \ illain comes on, an<l he is hissed on that 
sta^e. Tiiey love rij^\\{ and they hati- wron^, and if 
you had one of them on the side an«l a.ske<l him why 
III- lives the life he does lu' wouUi in a sullen sort of way 
say that the worM is a^'ainst him and owes him a li\in;; 
and he has ^ot t») ^'et it the hest he can. lOvery man 
would rather he honest, and the man that tells you 
your government is dishonest, that the people are dis- 
honest, is libeling' the people of this glorious Rej)uhlic. 
We all sin^' the praise of th<' man who is a j^'ood 
church man; we all sin^' the praise of the man who is 
a good husband and kind father, but I tell you, Mr. 
Toastmaster, there is one othir virtue that should be 
in a man's life. A man ouf^'ht to be those things and 
he ou^'ht also to be a ^'ood politician, and I mean that 
in the highest and the best sen.se, and a good politician 
means a good patriot. He ought to take an interest 
in his government. There is not a man in this audience 
if he were a stockholder in a private corporation, and 
he believed there was graft or inefliciency in that 
corporation, who would not be around on stockholder's 
day with certificates in his hand, who would not have 
his neighb(»rs and frieiuU who were stockholders there 
to turn the raxals out. And yet you hear there is 
inefficiency in our government, in our stale govern- 
ment, and e\ery one of you who pays a dollar in taxes 
is a stockholder in .Massachusetts which is a state 
cori)oration, but that is all thai the state of Massa- 



[213 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



chusetts Is. It is a great big corporation doing a busi- 
ness of many millions of dollars a year; the Governor 
is the president, the legislators are the board of direc- 
tors, and if there is graft there, if there is inefficiency 
there, on stockholder's day, on the first Tuesday in 
November, you as stockholders owe it to yourselves 
and to your state and to your country to be at the 
stockholder's meeting and turn the rascals out. 

In this great state but 60 or 70 per cent of the 
stockholders in this Massachusetts corporation vote 
every year, and that includes every man who tells 
you that politics is a dirty game and that politicians 
are grafters. 

We have too much politics in Massachusetts. 
How many realize that but two states in the Union 
have an election this fall, Massachusetts and Rhode 
Island, and if the people of Rhode Island should have 
an amendment to the constitution two years hence 
Massachusetts alone will hold an election. Every state 
in the Union except Massachusetts will elect its state 
ticket either once in two years or once in four years, 
and give the people a little rest in between. The cam- 
paign in this state started very shortly after the first 
of January, and it has been going on ever since, and I 
presume next year it will begin over again pretty close 
to the first of January, and so it is from year to year. It 
seems to me that the people of Massachusetts are en- 
titled to a rest every other year from politics, and it 
seems to me also that they are entitled to a rest from a 
legislative session. The present Legislature lasted 
nearly seven months — just think of it — nearly seven 
months, and there are twenty-five states in the Union 
that by constitutional enactment limits the legislative 
session in their states to from forty to ninety days, 
and there are only six states in this whole country that 
have annual sessions of the Legislature. 



214] 



THI HWc^IFT HON. «I|\I<I.KM K. U\TliriI» 



Ni)\v, Mr. ( liairinaii. I am a horn <H)linii>l, and 
I think tlu' worhl is ^Towin^' hrtl«T ail thr timr; I think 
\vr have ht'ttrr rulers today than ycst<'r(hi\-. and I 
think Ix'tttT laws toda\- than r\vr hrfon-. I lliink 
tin' sun will shine hri^hter tomorrow than it has sln)rjr 
today, hut I <lo think if is y<uir duty and m\' duty and 
every num's duty to he a |)atriolie eiti/en. to !)«• inter- 
ested in his town, in hi> slate, in his nation, and to do 
his |)art to ^'i\e this country the he.st ^'(n'ernment in the 
uoriil." [applause] 

Tui; ( "iiAiUM AN. '"ill speaking' ahouf fhe^'o\ern- 
ment of cities, and esjx-cially of small cities, I am <'on- 
tident the speaker did not have in mind any ref«'rence 
to our neighhorin^ city of Xcwton, which we all know- 
is a Well ^'overnetl city, and we shall he please<l to hear 
his Honor, Mayor llallield of Newton." 



REMARKS OF HON. CHARLKS K. IIATFIKLI) 

"Mr. Toast master, ladies and ^'«ntlemen. I know 
it is late and you want to ^'et away; I aiu sure you are 
not anxious to hear me speak any more than I am 
anxious to speak to you. I am ^'lad howev«T to <-ome 
here and to hrin^' the ;,'reetin^'s to you of the city (»f 
Newton. Newton is proud of Needham; we are hound 
to you by many ties; we see many of your people in 
Newton in many of our different orders and »)rpuiiza- 
tions, and we have come to love those men and to he 
proud of them. We p-t water from the hanks of the 
river in Net-dham. Po.ssihiy in N«'wton they mix it 
with other thing's, hut not during this administration 
[lau^'hter]. Away hack in tlu' <lark ap's when Con- 
gressman Weeks was mayor of Newton they may have 
mixed water with other things, hut not at present. 



1215 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



But Newton is as proud of you as you are proud of 
yourself at this two hundredth anniversary, and I 
could not help thinking as I sat here that back of all 
these comes the opportunity of what two hundred 
years gives to these young men and women of Needham. 
It is the inheritance brought to them by their forefathers 
by the men who have made this possible, by the men 
and the women too, for the women have done their 
part. You remember Senator Hoar when asked to 
speak to the toast 'The Pilgrim Mothers' said this: 
'The Pilgrim Mothers, they endured all the Pilgrim 
fathers endured, and also had to endure the Pilgrim 
fathers.' 

Now, it is that inheritance, that many years of 
good town government brought down to these boys and 
girls that is going to give them an opportunity, — the 
opportunity which comes to an American citizen and 
gives him the chance to become as great and as good 
as any other man in the country. That is what freedom 
means here, it is what has been brought about by the 
kind of men and women who settled this town, and 
I assure you that Newton brings to you greetings and 
hopes that you may at the next celebration after an- 
other hundred years have as pleasant and even a pleas- 
anter reunion than this. 

'May you be the same good fellow, genial spirit, man and 

friend 
Till the shadows fall and lengthen, and life's beaten track 

shall end.' " 

The Chairman. "It has been said, I believe, 
by some one that a man's birthplace is largely acci- 
dental, and I presume we have a very little to say about 
it, but we have here a great many people who claim 
Needham as their birthplace, and who have a feeling 
of friendship and loyalty for our town, who take an 



2161 



TnE BANQt'ET -IIOV. n. H. JOHVHOV 



intorcst in our town, luid wo have som«" of them with 
lis (iiiriii^ tlii.s (■(•Irhralioii, atni I assure you it lia> ^'ivcn 
inv (|uitt' a ftM-lini,' of inspiration to scr witli us from <lay 
to day frit'iids and nrij^lihors fronj dilTcn-nt towns and 
cities. 

Tonif^dit w«' liavc with us a man well known ia a 
hir^f number of our townsmen, one who has <M-(iij)ied 
responsihh' positions and has heen identified with th<' 
^'rowth of the nei^dihorin^ city of Walt ham. and who 
comes to us toni^'ht with a few words of ^<M)d cheer and 
encoura^'emenl . I ha\e the pleasure to introduce at 
Uiis time the Hon. li. H. John.soii." 



KIMAKKS OF HON. h. H. .JOHNSON 

"Mr. Chairman, ladies and i^'entlemen: I was 
thinking tcxluy tliat 1 wils almost the only native lands- 
man amon^ tluvse invited quests seated at this tahle. 
Almost all the gentlemen wlm have heen here toni^'ht, 
and CNpecially thos»' who are gone, and my ehxpient 
brother here and one or two that sit at the tahle, are 
fishermen and they won't know what the catch is until 
next Novemher. Another one over here is a fisher of 
men, and I presume you will hear from him. 

Seventy-seven years ago next Novem))er I paid 
my lirst visit to Needham. Churches were .scarce; 
now you luive an abundance of them — have enough for 
every one. ^ Our school houses were poor and scattered; 
you have splendid edifices iU)W. Hut they had s«)me 
snuirt Ik)vs and girls in Ne«*dham in those days. Wlu'U 
tlu' old parson made one of his calls on the Kingsbury 
family th«' little girl of the family had a composition 
she had just prepared on the cow. The pastor ask«'d 
her to read it and she read it to him. The last st-ntence 
of it wa-s — 'The cow is the most useful animal in tlie 



(217 



NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



world except religion.' The pastor understood that. 
A town which for two hundred years has stood faithful 
in education and civil and religious liberty, judged by 
the standards of the town of Needham, has a right to 
celebrate its Bicentennial. A town which has sent out 
its girls and boys imbued with those characteristics 
they have gotten here, who have made their mark in 
business and social life of this Commonwealth, such a 
town has the right to celebrate her Bicentennial Anni- 
versary with pride. I congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, 
on what appears to be a most remarkable success that 
your committee has achieved, and I thus publicly 
thank you for the invitation to this occasion which I 
consider a great compliment. I am glad to see so many 
here from abroad and I am glad that Needham has 
been honored by some of these talented ones in song, 
in verse and in service. I was glad to hear that poem 
last night; it was a credit and an honor to the town and 
to the woman who wrote it. 

Let me, in conclusion, say that I trust that one of 
the lessons that will be learned today out of this celebra- 
tion will be that which has been thrust home tonight 
more than once — the duty of loyal good citizenship. 
Let every man and woman resolve that the moral 
standard of Needham shall never be lowered, and put 
your hands upon your hearts and pledge yourselves if 
you are wise that you will never let this town be en- 
gulfed by any other municipality, even Boston " 
[applause.] 

The Chairman: "We have with us tonight the 
representative of a family well known by reputation, 
and known also by a large number of our citizens, the 
representative of a family which has taken active part 
in making the history of Needham, and one which has 
always held a place of honor in our hearts. We remem- 



218] 



Tin; M\N<^iKT -uiv. c.ynnt.y. \vniT\Kiii 



IxT tlu'in and we ropi'cl tlicrii, and it i.s with |)It a>ure 
tliat I call u\nm Dr. (ieorgc Wliilaker." 



UKMAHKS OF KKV. (iKORCi: Willi AKKR 

"Mr. ( liairiiiaii. I \va^ alxtiil t<» >ay I-'dlow Citi- 
zens of NiT(lliaiii, for I hardly like to call iiiy>flf now 
any other than a NCcdhaiii hoy. 

1 am rcininiicd of a certain dignitary of the church 
who had (Hca.sion at one time to pass throu^'h a .s[)ar.sely 
settled .section of Missouri, and because of tin- scarcity 
of provisions found it neci-ssary for his daily wants to 
nuike application wherever oi)portunity occurred. It 
is said that he came to the door of u pleasant appearing 
lo<; cahin, with its ^'arden attractive and l>eautiful 
about it, and he made a reijui-.st for a meal. A well 
dre.s.scd lady of particular attractiveness j^dadly con- 
sented to supply his need. Everything' there denoted 
the utmost thrift and housewifery. When the dinner 
was served a ne^ro came in and to(jk his seat at the 
table, and he proved to be the husband of this woman 
who had providi'd so well for her guest. Surprise was 
expressed that she should have married a negro, when 
she replied, — 'My sister did not fare anything like as 
well as I did. for she married a ^'ankee.' 

And I have come to consider the situation of that 
relationship, for the term 'Vanket'' ha.s grown to he 
wonderfully strong. It started well at the foundation 
of the splendid characteristics the prai.se of which we 
iiavi' heard a good deal during this celebratit)n. It 
was, to be sure, confined largely to Kngland until a 
certain misunderstanding grew up a little more than 
fifty years ago. but it spread i)artly by emigration, an«i 
partly by a loyalty to the country's wtlfare. all ovir 
thcM,* New Kngland states; and a peculiar ideal of 



[2VJ 



NEEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



righteousness, that profound devotion to efforts that 
this country should stand as the representative of abso- 
lute freedon for church and state, and should become 
a name indeed, as it had been a name in verse — 'The 
land of the free and the home of the brave,' and that 
spirit marks genuine Yankeedom. 

And so I love to think that this town, as we have 
heard over and over again, was settled by this kind 
of people. The fathers have done their share in giving 
us the characteristics of highest manhood of most 
splendid devotion, of heroic strife and glorious victory, 
and that has given the Yankee name immortality side 
by side with the best things of Greece and Rome. This 
term has become significant of our great American 
honesty, and is speaking to all generations as they come 
and go into the activities of life. 

I am here for just a few moments to call your 
attention to the fact which must not be forgotten, that 
like old Greece and Rome that took into itself by a 
system of proselytism all the peoples who were pleased 
to accept its principles, so this America of ours invites 
the people of every land to come and take up our faith, 
take up our courage, take up our national prestige — 
seize upon all these appliances for the individual grov/th, 
for splendid development, for heroic achievement, for 
supplementing the ideal to which they perpetually 
aspire. It is this principle to which we invite the peo- 
ple of every land to become a part of our great nation- 
ality. 

I cannot stop without calling your attention, 
friends, to this fact, that our Americans are fast becom- 
ing a mixture of half a dozen old bloods; and to accom- 
plish that there has been incorporated a little German, 
a little Scandinavian, a little of the Latin races, some 
North American Indian, some African blacks and some 
Aztec, and putting the whole together, consecrating 



2201 



TMK lUVQIFT— HKV. (■;KOHf;H WHITAKKR 



nnd moulding' the sariu-, to hriii^' ahoiit a( the last the 
confj'ornrration of u cosinopolitan Ariifrican. 

Now I must .say a word very hrit'fly on one or two 
points. First, I tliauk you for tlic privilr^c (»f hcin^ 
with you a^'ain. and hccausj' you arr N'rcdhani |>ropIc 
you will l)c intrr«'strd tonight to fjo with rnr to tin- home 
of citi/cn Morgan. If you will, look with m('outr)fhis 
north wiiid(»w and sec oik- house. That was the home 
of the Ke\ . William Hil(hie, then the pastor of the 
church that stood a little farther away, 'iiirn your 
eyes out of tlu" west window and fin<l the home of the 
Kev. Daniel Kind)all. IJoth were uncles of Kd^'ar K. 
^Vhil:lker, my father. 

Then turn your eyes out of the south window and 
you will see one house, now taken down, and I want to 
say that every nail we pulled out as we tore off the 
clapboards and timbers and hoards was made of 
wrought iron, just as the hiacksmith fashioneil every 
nail that went into that hou.se. Out of the cast window, 
and nearly opposite the Baptist Church was the next 
hou.se, the resi(h'nce of Josepli Colhurn. who has gone 
to his reward. A little f; rther away was Asa Kings- 
bury's, and just beyond the little .school house where 
my own ideas were first taught to sprout. Just beyond 
was the little brick .school-house — and that was Need- 
luun when I was a boy, and that repre.s«'nted every- 
thing in sight. This very si)ot where you and I now 
are is where I once got an awful sweating digging away 
with the hoc, or swinging the scythe to the best of my 
strength. My father had the notion that the best wa}- 
was to bring a boy up with work, and I have found 
it wi'll to be in league with work, to be overflowing with 
work, to be never wearied with work, and to determine 
that work was man's highest character and d<'stiny was 
one of the good Ics.sons taught me in my Nccdham 
home. 



(221 



needham's bicentennial celebration 



I would like to tell of what throbs in my heart 
as I recognize some of the men sitting in this au- 
dience tonight, who began to turn this land only good 
enough to feed a few cows into a place filled with 
business industries, to feed factories and the indus- 
tries represented so nicely in the procession this 
morning. 

In those early days there was just one church. 
There was one in what is now Wellesley Hills, and there 
is another a little to the north of it — the old Needham 
Circuit, and these constituted the whole. Now see 
how you are surrounded with all sorts of spiritual 
enlightenment, and every Sabbath, and every new 
moon, and every festivity, you can consecrate your- 
selves with all that is noble in human character, and 
all that is revealed in the book of God. And in the 
strength of these truths you go out to work, some in 
Boston, some on the farm, some in the line of merchan- 
dise, some at home, and training your children to be 
magnificent men, and making splendid women of the 
daughters of your love. There is nothing grander 
in this world, and may there be nothing better in the 
world to come. 

I call to mind the fact that years ago the Sons 
of Temperance were organized here, and that the order 
is still alive, as evidenced in your parade of this morning, 
the very regalia of the first patriarch being exhibited. 
And may I remind you of the revival of this same move- 
ment, and urge upon you in this community to make 
the good work of the past a fit introduction to the 
achievements of the future. 

God bless Needham, its every inhabitant, and those 
that will come to catch the spirit of the fathers, and 
the spirit of those hereafter; and that this town shall 
go on from strength to strength and from light to light, 
and from grace to grace, from the scenes of our earthly 



222] 



TIIK JINNQIKT -RKN'. C.FJmcy \VHTT\KFH 



stnipplrs to srrnrs of quirt at tlic n^\\\ li.iiul of (loci, 
I thank yoii, Mr. Cliairinaii." 

The audiriicf rose, ami the occasion fnilocl with 
the .singing of oiu* verse of "Anieric a.' 



(223 



1711 




1911 



The Town o i- N i: k i > n a m 

MASSACHUSETTS 

will celebrate this year, with fitting exercises, its 
BICENTENNIAL 



You are cordially invited to be present Sunday. Monday and 
Tuesday. September 17, 18 and 19. 1911 

The pro^;ram will include a civic and trades parade, sports 
and children's entertainment, historic exhibit, reception, his- 
toric addresses, banquet and ball 

There will be room for everyone, and the committee hopes 
that you will be able to join with them in making the obser- 
vance a success 

The subscription to the banquet has been placed at two 
dollars. In order to determine the number of covers to be 
laid, notice of your intention to attend will be necessary 

The tickets to the ball will be one dollar each 

WILLIAM G. MOSELEY. Chairman 
THOMAS SUTTON, Secrrtarv 



'I iii: r.ALL 



TIIH HALL 

A littiiiK finale to Nccdliani's IH-Cciilriuiial (I'li-- 
bratitui was tlu' ^'raiid march and l)all licld in tlie Town 
Hall TiU'sday ovniiiiK, S('i)tcml)rr U)tli. More tliaii 
one hundred cDupk'S partiiiijatcd. The ^rand march 
was led by Henry T. Childs, Chairman of the Board 
of Selectmen, and Miss Bessie Childs. 

'I'he atTair was in char^'e of a committee comprised 
of Selectman William A. I'lolx-rt. Chairman; Henry 
D. Hlackman and Jame> ii. Whettoii. The floor was 
ill char^'e of John L. TwiK^- He was assisted by 
James H. Whcltoii, Francis J. Stanwood, Wallace (;. 
liiiv and liodney S. Adams. 

Tiic hall was prettily decorated with pale blue 
and uhite bunting' draped from the truss beams over- 
head. Artificial vines and fiowers adorned the col- 
umns and walls, and pendants of vines and roses huiiK 
from the chandeliers and li^ht clusters. The front of 
the stage was decorated with vines and bou(iucts of 
flowers. 

Mu>ic for dancing' was supplied by flic Vunhin 
Orrlnstra of Boston. The dance order comprised 
twelve numbers and several extras. Dancing,' was «-n- 
joyed until 14 V. M. Many ^mesls were present from 
ni'dham, W<'lK'sley, Newton. Natick. Dover and other 
nearbv towns. The beautiful costumes t)f the ladies 
toKcther with tlu- ta>teful decorations of the hall com- 
bined to make the atTair easily the lexiding soiial event 
iu the festivities of the year. 



1227 



Til i: Ri:sr i/r 



Tin: RKSULT 

Thron^'hoiit tlu- (.-iitirc ci-K'ljration, 1k1<1 midcr un- 
clouded skifs, not an urii)l('a.saiit iiicidt-nt niarrt-d tlit- 
siiccr>s of N( odiiaiii's Hicinlt nnial annivtrsary, a 
success so niarkt'd tliat in it tlie liardt\st worker on 
the coniinittee for^'ot the Jiours ^'ivcn to tin* many 
details of the fir.st .ste{).s. Tlie general invitations to 
attend at sonu* time during' the thre<- days, sent hy 
citizens to ahsent ones, hroufiht a most ^^ratifying 
numl)er of Xeedhaiu's sons and daughters, as well as 
int<'rt>teii friends ; and the surrctundinj^ towns contri- 
Ituted their share of transient vi>itors. 

A remarkable feature of the celebration was the 
prevailing orderliness in crowds runninp into the thou- 
sands. No extra officers were needed, and at no time 
was even the r«'<,Milar force a necessity, save as a pre- 
cautionary measure. Not an arrest was nuule dur- 
ing the whole time. That the real spirit of the cele- 
bration had been caught by all, was jjlainly shown 
by each one's effort to hel[) make the event a joy to 
others. 

Another noticeable feature of tlu- occasion was the 
absence of all that would in any way tend to lessen the 
diu'nity of the celebration. Life and f)h-asure alMHuid- 
e(J, but the committee deei<le(l ai^'airist the admis- 
sion of *'side shows" and "fakirs", and the discor- 
dant cries and attendant unruly following usual on sim- 
ilar occasions were absent. 



[231 



NEEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL, CELEBRATION 



It was gratifying as well as pleasant to see many 
of the same faces day after day, signifying that the 
event was not losing in its force as the program con- 
tinued, — and those who were obliged to leave before 
the end did so with genuine regret. 

What will be the permanent effect of the celebra- 
tion on the civic welfare of the town cannot now be 
determined ; indirectly, at least, it must be beneficial ; 
but Needham's Bicentennial will not be forgotten by 
the present generation, and without doubt the record 
here preserved will be enjoj^ed by many in the future. 



THE END 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



014 079 2214 » 



